PM Citu: In no country has the PNRR been voted in Parliament, it is Government attribute

 

"Such blackmail doesn't work with me. The Social-Democrats have to explain to their colleagues in Italy, in Spain, in France, who are very much waiting for this programme, expecting it tomorrow, why they do not want to ratify this bill," the Prime Minister said in Parliament, when asked what Romania risks if Parliament does not ratify the EU decision to increase the contribution.

 

Asked if there was a chance of being blocked at EU level, Florin Citu said: "Of course, if Romania does not ratify, the European Union cannot borrow, and then the PSD must explain to the European Union why it does not want to ratify this bill."

 

"In no country has the PNRR been voted in Parliament, it is an attribute of the Government, we are open, Minister Ghinea came to Parliament and presented the PNRR in (the select) committee, so it was (presented) in the Romanian Parliament. We will present it to the Romanians, there is no special treatment for Social-Democrats. Minister Ghinea was in committees, every time he was summoned he came to the committee and presented, so I don't see a problem here," the prime minister added.

 

The joint standing offices of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday annulled the joint plenary of Parliament, which was to be held from 2 p.m., for the ratification of Council Decision (EU, EURATOM) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the European Union's own resources system.

 

PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday that he wanted a debate on the PNRR and that PSD lawmakers would not vote for it in the joint plenary on Wednesday , "because they want to know what it contains".

 

"My colleagues and I will vote for our children from 2021 to 2053. This bill was discussed, presented to the public by the Prime Minister, by the Speaker of the House. (...) It is a complex bill, assumed by all European families (...), which must be discussed very well and understood by Romanians in order to know what we have to do for the future. The PSD will vote on this bill, assumed by all European families. That doesn't mean it's going to vote for it tomorrow. We have called for a postponement and a debate on this project primarily within the political parties. This bill is intended to be forced. The PSD will not participate in this bill," the Social-Democrat leader said.