The parties forming Romania's governing coalition, the Democratic Liberals (PD-L) and the Social Democrats), have been fighting for the status of winner in the Sunday European Parliament elections, in which the two groups have won a similar number of votes. The status would decide which party would nominate Romania's candidate for a seat as European Commissioner.
A PD-L leader, Gheorghe Flutur, said on Tuesday that his party won over PSD in 28 counties across the country and in the Diaspora, which according to him meant PD-L was the winner of the election, when taking into account the results of independent candidate Elena Basescu. Basescu received about 4% of the votes on Sunday and while she ran as an independent, Flutur presented her as "our colleague".
On the other hand, the president of the Social Democrats, Mircea Geoana, said on Tuesday that the future commissioner would be decided following a serious debate as the decision was not at the hands of any political party. But he e said the "moral right of winning the elections makes that PSD had a strong word to say regarding the nomination of the European Commissioner. PSD won, PD-L lost", Geoana said.
Meanwhile, PD-L vice-president Cezar Preda said in an interview for Radio France International that PD-L helped Elena Basescu -daughter of President Traian Basescu - in her candidacy in European elections.
He acknowledged part of PD-L was mobilized to support her as she - Preda said - "mistakenly" ceded easily to civil society pressure to leave PD-L and run as an independent.
HotNews.ro has written about the way PD-L planned to support Elena Basescu during the elections in a eyebrow-raising manner. The parties forming Romania's governing coalition, the Democratic Liberals (PD-L) and the Social Democrats), have been fighting for the status of winner in the Sunda
