PSD's Pucheanu: 'We want to change the bride, not divorce' PNL coalition

Ionuț Pucheanu, first vice-president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and mayor of Galați, gave an interview on Digi24 on Sunday in which he addressed the ongoing political crisis following the collapse of the governing coalition with the National Liberal Party (PNL). He used a series of metaphors to argue that PSD is open to a new coalition, but only if Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan is replaced.

Marriage metaphor

Pucheanu likened the coalition to a marriage, insisting that PSD does not want a divorce. "We are not bothered by the idea of marriage, but we would like to change the bride, for the sake of the children," he said, referring to Bolojan. He argued that simply having a government is not enough; the quality of governance is what matters. "The country was governed, period. I think it also matters how it's governed, because, like in a marriage, marital status matters only if you are happy in the marriage or not. In this case, I think Romania was governed poorly."

We are not bothered by the idea of marriage, but we would like to change the bride, for the sake of the children.

Bolojan's "suicidal" method

The PSD leader used a medical analogy to explain his dissatisfaction with Bolojan's governing style. He compared the prime minister to a doctor who correctly diagnoses a problem and prescribes a 14-day antibiotic course, but then administers the entire dose at once. Pucheanu acknowledged that the direction of reforms was largely correct, but the implementation was "suicidal." He specifically criticized Bolojan for starting austerity by cutting local administration staff while leaving the central administration, which he said lacks any staffing limits, untouched. He pointed to the duplication of agencies like the Environment Agency and the Environmental Guard, where one issues permits and the other issues fines, as an example of inefficiency that was not addressed.

Mr. Bolojan is like when you go to the doctor: the doctor tells you you have a problem and prescribes a treatment for 7 or 14 days, and then Mr. Bolojan, the attending physician, says if we have antibiotics for 14 days, let's take them all at once.

Return to negotiations

Pucheanu called for all major political actors to return to the negotiating table, describing politics as the art of compromise. He warned that without an end to "bellicose statements," Romania would be stuck with a dismissed government limping along for a long time. He stressed that PSD has no problem with PNL as a party, only with the way Bolojan applied the coalition agreement.

Important political actors should return to the negotiating table and find a solution so that Romania can be governed in the true sense of the word.

AUR should govern

In a notable aside, Pucheanu suggested that the opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), led by George Simion, should be allowed to govern to expose its limitations. "These people should have been exposed," he said, implying that giving them power would reveal their incompetence to voters.

Veștea appointment "forced"

Commenting on the appointment of Adrian Veștea as prime minister without consulting PNL's leadership, Pucheanu said that from a moral perspective, things may have been "a bit forced." He argued that the situation could have been avoided by bringing all main actors to the table once more, so it wouldn't feel like "the bride's cousin was forced into the picture."

From a moral perspective, things may have been a bit forced. It could have been avoided by bringing the main actors to the table once more, so there wouldn't be the feeling that the bride's cousin was forced into the picture.