The first attack against President Ion Iliescu from PSD (Social Democrat Party), launched on Tuesday night through executive secretary Radu Podgoreanu stirred several reactions yesterday, but allowed the chief of state to clear up three issues, from his point of view. The President personally answered the criticism from the PSD deputy, after his spokesperson Corina Cretu had answered the previous night, saying it "meant nothing" to him.
Under the circumstances, Iliescu felt he should restate that the difference over the early elections "has not soured the relations" with PM Adrian Nastase. The third clarification was in connection with PSD as a party. Whereas on Monday night he had said before Parliament that any political party "must not use for electoral purposes" the invitation received by Romania to join the NATO, without specifying which party he had in mind, Iliescu yesterday crossed the "t's" and dotted the "i's" telling PSD it was not wise to "brag about" the success in Prague. At the same time, the Senate chairman Nicolae Vacaroiu, known as one of the people close to the chief of state, cared to comment that PSD had to be more careful as to whom it appointed for press conferences. The Liberals, in their turn, think the critical statements made by Deputy Podgoreanu are part of an "Iliescu-Nastase war".
"This means nothing to me." This was President Iliescu's answer to the criticism from Radu Podgoreanu, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, as quoted by Mediafax.
"I am not a tandem player. I honour my position and my status, even though I have my personal likes about certain ideas, certain options, but I am not enrolled in anything and this is what I told him (i.e. Radu Podgoreanu) last night: his statement is plainly stupid, namely that I, in my position as President of this country, should start handing out good behaviour certificates or some silly kind of appreciation to one party or another. I am talking about the meaning of Romania, the Romanian State and the Romanian society, which I serve and represent. I have said more, though: even for them it is unwise to brag. It is much wiser to unite everybody around big ideas, big projects and big moments. So...whatever, I for one hope they'll settle it among themselves," President Iliescu said.
The chief of state said he had met with Radu Podgoreanu on Tuesday night and told him he was unable to comprehend what he was after.
The President specified that Adrian Nastase had expressed his disapproval about Podgoreanu's statements when they went to the SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service) together.
The response of the chief of state was prompted by PSD's executive secretary statements on Tuesday night. Podgoreanu had said many MPs of the party had "experienced dissatisfaction" because President Ion Iliescu in his speech before Parliament did not highlight the contribution of the PSD parliamentary groups to the decision to welcome Romania into NATO.
