Pro Romania's Ponta says PNL not counting on his party to form gov't

Pro Romania Chairman Victor Ponta said on Tuesday that he does not believe that the National Liberal Party (PNL) counts on the votes of the Pro Romania lawmakers for the formation of a new government, adding that there will be a "one-off" collaboration with social democrats. "What I have said publicly stays. We have done a good thing in putting the Dancila government out of its misery, as it was a dead government anyway. Now, I understand that the Liberals want to form the government. We, being a leftist party, wish them good luck, and I do not think they count on us. (...) I think that at one time those who are social democrats will collaborate, but I mean collaboration for elections and then for the opposition," Ponta said at Parliament House. He added that he had not stated any conditions in his talks with President Klaus Iohannis, because no one from PNL had asked him to vote for the future government. "I did not state any conditions at all, because no one from PNL asked me to vote for the government, and then there is no point in that. I can see that PMP, USR, UDMR are claiming conditions, we are not claiming nay. We have had no discussion with Mr Orban after the censure motion. (...) I saw last night that one of the PNL leaders was saying that the new government should work only for President Iohannis, for the PNL electorate and for PNL. And then I say that he is right. We will vote for any government that will work for Mircea Diaconu, for the Pro Romania electorate and for Pro Romania," added Ponta. Asked by journalists if Iohannis told him the name of the future prime minister, Ponta said: "Yes. He will tell it to you, too. Me telling you the name would not be polite." AGERPRES (RO - author: Catalina Matei, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)