Social Democrat leader Ciolacu: This budget is a disgrace to Romania, PSD won't vote for it

The budget presented by Prime Minister Florin Citu is a disgrace to Romania, is in breach of the law, and the Social Democrat MPs will not vote for it, Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu said today in the Parliament plenary. Ciolacu called the Prime Minister a liar: "You have been at the rule for a year and a half now, in various formulas, you were the Finance Minister during Mr. Orban's term as head of government and you are now yourself the Prime Minister. (...) You know perfectly well, Mr. Citu, that PSD has not governed Romania over the last straight 30 years. You know that PSD no longer has any representatives in the Boards of Directors of the Romanian state-owned companies, these positions are currently held by your nieces, mistresses and political supporters. You saw that everybody was replaced in office and appointed your acolytes," Ciolacu said. Speaking of Ludovic Orban, the PSD leader called him "the last brontosaurus of Romanian politics in the last 30 years". Addressing the Liberals' claims that the PSD is stealing, Ciolacu said that "it wasn't the PSD that kept us all locked in our homes while you were stealing, the files put together by the anti-corruption authority are proof for that. Have you really no shame to come and accuse us of embezzlement? (...) This budget is a disgrace to Romania, it's a plan where you didn't consider it opportune to invest in Education, in Health, or to increase allowances and pensions according to the laws in force." AGERPRES (RO - author: Catalina Matei, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)