PM Orban: Within EPP Congress, we endorse Tusk's candidacy as President and MEP Muresan as Vice-President

Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has stated on Monday that the Liberals endorse, within the European People's Party (EPP) Congress, Donald Tusk as President and Siegfired Muresan as Vice -President. "We endorse a candidate to the EPP Vice-President office, namely Siegfried Muresan, we endorse the candidacy of Donald Tusk as EPP President. Moreover, on the occasion of the Congress, we will have many bilateral meetings. (...) As far as I am concerned, so far, we established, on the sidelines of the EPP Congress, eight bilateral meetings with Prime Ministers of various countries which are members of the EPP, also with European Commissioners, with future European Commissioners, very important meetings which allow us to strengthen the connections with our partners and increase the influence which we have at European level with benefits for Romanians," Orban stated, when asked what's that mandate which the PNL would endorse at the EPP Congress. He showed that the EPP President will propose the Secretary General of the formation. "We conveyed that, from our point of view, we would be very glad if that proposal is Antonio Lopez Isturiz," Orban mentioned. The European People's Party (EPP) will hold its Congress in Zagreb on Wednesday and Thursday, during which the EPP Presidency, including the President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer and Secretary General are to be elected. Approximately 2,000 participants from more than 40 countries have been invited to participate in the Congress in Zagreb. Donald Tusk (Civic Platform) is the only candidate running for EPP President. The ten Vice-Presidents of the EPP will be elected between David McAllister (Germany), Helen McEntee (Ireland), Siegfried Muresan (Romania), Averof Neofytou (Cyprus), Petteri Orpo (Finland), Franck Proust (France), Paulo Rangel (Portugal), Ivan Stefanec (Slovakia), Antonio Tajani (Italy), Esther De Lange (the Netherlands), Mariya Gabriel (Bulgaria) and Johannes Hahn (Austria). The meeting agenda also includes, among others, debates on limiting effects of climate change and Western Balkans. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Catalin Alexandru; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)