On Wednesday 10 April, the President of the Party of European Socialists, Sergei Stanishev, announced that relations between the PES and its Romanian affiliate, the PSD, had been frozen due to ongoing concerns regarding the rule of law in Romania (see EUROPE 12234/2). The PSD is in power in the country, in coalition with the ALDE.
“Until the Romanian Government clarifies its commitment to the rule of law and follows the European Commission's recommendations, the PES leadership will consider relations with the PSD frozen, pending a formal discussion at the next PES Presidency meeting in June, where PSD Romania’s membership of the PES will be discussed”, the PES announced in a press release, following the party leaders' meeting ahead of the special European Council.
In anticipation of this meeting, “no PES events will be organised with the PSD until this time”, the press release specifies.
Romanian Minister of European Funds and PSD member Rovana Plumb criticised this decision. “We are not entering into electoral games, even if they originate from PES colleagues! [This] position is not statutory, but rather reflects a political statement in the electoral context”, she argued in a press release, saying that it was sad that the “propaganda” against her party had “gone so far as to influence the opinions of some PES colleagues”, within “the same political family”.
“Things can and must be clarified. We have the open mind necessary to help these dissatisfied colleagues to understand the reality in Romania. We are giving them all the information necessary to make a good impression”, she said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)