Daniel Fenechiu (PNL), about the regrouping of AUR-ists: “Not all AUR organizations are extremists. Maybe they have clarified their vision”

The misunderstandings in the coalition, which caused the long-trumpeted “single candidate” Cirstoiu to become two – Burduja and Firea – led many Romanians to believe that until the total break of the alliance between PSD and PNL, the days are numbered. One of the main liberal leaders, Senator Daniel Fenechiu, is not of the same opinion, whose opinion I asked about the situation in Bucharest, but also about the prospects of the alliance in the local, parliamentary and presidential elections.

Mr. Fenechiu, after PNL tried three candidates for the Capital City Hall in 2016, now the story has repeated itself and the initially chosen candidate has been replaced. What do you say to the people of Bucharest, because many accuse the PNL of being a frivolous party, for this reason?

PNL is not a frivolous party. He is part of a coalition that was thought to ensure stability from the moment of its establishment, against the background of the continuation of the war in Ukraine, then the emergence of problems in the Gulf area, the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the attack of Iran and other various threats that exist at the moment. As such, at the political level it was decided that this coalition must continue. And it was a political decision of the two parties to have common candidates in certain administrative-territorial units, one of them being Bucharest. It was tried with Dr. Cirstoiu, a choice that at the time seemed an inspired and successful choice, but due to the fact that Dr. Cirstoiu did not manage to defuse the problems raised around his candidacy, which are related to integrity, the manner in which and – he worked as a manager – without that meaning that he was to blame, because people vote with perceptions. As doctor Cirstoiu did not manage to get out of the morass in which he was introduced in this area, the sociological evaluations said that the prospects were not very good. And then our political leaders said: in the situation where the statistical data and perspectives show that you are not going in a good direction, you must take a measure. Doctor Cirstoiu was withdrawn and it was decided that each party should go to the elections with the president of the Bucharest organization, respectively Tianu Burduja for us and Gabriela Firea for PSD, in order to maximize the political result and to win Bucharest.

The fact that PNL and PSD could not agree on a common candidate is not an additional proof that these two parties are incompatible from an ideological point of view?

The compatibility was manifested in the face of some geopolitical problems that had to be addressed in a manner of stability. Look at Bulgaria: it had six rounds of elections in the last three years! No one said that PSD or PNL are currently compatible parties. We as PNL are a right-wing party, we don’t love PSD, but the interest in ensuring Romania’s stability determines us to be pragmatic. And yes, the only option to ensure this stability is the continuation of the coalition with the PSD.

At the local level, PSD and PNL branches have clashed many times in recent months, even reaching open conflicts, with accusations or insults. Is the alliance still alive only at its peak, because quarrels reign in the territory?

There are arguments in quite a few areas, there are also areas where the alliance works better. The alliance is kept alive by the desire of the national leaderships of the two parties to ensure the stability and predictability of Romania in European terms. Which is a very important thing and we believe that both the liberal electorate and the social-democratic electorate can largely understand this. Can you imagine what a zone of instability in Romania would mean, from the perspective of our country’s interests, both in military, strategic and geopolitical terms?

If the candidates on the PSD-PNL lists do not get more than 50% of the votes, as most polls indicate, will you leave this coalition?

PNL did not form this coalition to leave it. As long as the agreements that were made are in the direction for which they were made, and the PSD respects the things that have been established and the red lines, I don’t think there is a problem to leave the coalition. Obviously we want to have the best possible results, we want to win as many town halls as possible, practically all town halls and all county councils – with the natural mention that we take into account some counties where the Hungarian minority is still the majority. So we want to win as much as possible and where we don’t happen to win obviously we will analyze and take measures. But I don’t think that at the moment the perspective of the coalition could be affected by the results, because I think that where there is work and where the leaders, both ours and PSD’s, are doing their job – and I’m not talking about love between PNL and PSD, but the need for stability – I think we will understand each other and I think that a large part of Romanians want this stability. Because whatever political scenario you want to anticipate, you will find that except for this mess, it’s true, between two parties that have different ideologies, different objectives, there is no other possibility to create a majority. Don’t forget that PNL had another attempt in this regard…

Having said that, you anticipated the following question: do you think it is possible to restore the relationship with USR, in an eventual new right-wing government?

I cannot exclude anything, because in politics, in general, it is good not to exclude anything. This obviously depends on many things, including the USR’s position vis-à-vis the National Liberal Party. Today I find that the USR’s biggest enemy seems to be the National Liberal Party. USR attacked PNL from all directions. And when you antagonize the active party, sometimes it is more difficult to rebuild those bridges that once existed. But nothing is ruled out.

Liberal leaders have made it clear many times that they don’t want to hear about AUR. However, just the other day an entire branch of this party, from Nehoiu, Buzau, switched to the PNL. How about the slogan “By ourselves”, if you accept all the extremists in the party?

Not all AUR voters are extremists and not all AUR organizations are extremists – just to put things in perspective. AUR voters and members are Romanians who either believed in certain slogans circulated by this party, or were dissatisfied with the local or central government. There are Romanians who were dissatisfied perhaps even with our government and joined the AUR. At some point, they may have clarified their vision, because when you become a member of a political organization, you receive more information and see things from the inside. The fact that several AUR organizations switched to PNL is nothing more than their choice in relation to the information they found out while being part of an organization, in order to continue their activity. The fact that there are sympathizers or even AUR organizations that at some point join the PNL is a matter that must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. They are not received automatically. The county leadership of the party evaluates people, no one said that in an AUR organization there cannot be a person who is compatible with our members. People can be angry with the mayor, the county council and they can say: “Let’s register in AUR, because look how nice the people there speak!” But the man went and found that nothing is done there, only stories are told to people. And then he discovered that there are effective PNL organizations, liberal leaders who tell the truth and decided to join a party that really offers solutions for Romania.

If the story of the “retired independent” will be repeated in the presidential elections, will you send your own PNL candidate or will you soon join a large alliance of the right, so that Romania does not risk having, after a quarter of a century, a president of Left?

The National Liberal Party announced and all the liberal leaders who appeared in the public space confirmed that the PNL will have a presidential candidate in the person of its president, Nicolae Ciuca. From this point of view, Ciuca can be the candidate of the PNL, he can be the candidate of the Coalition, he can be the candidate of any possible alliance. He will be our candidate and the future president of Romania.