PM Ponta: Partial success in jailing former president Basescu, former minister Udrea

Prime Minister Victor Ponta, the head of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) reviewed on Monday the achievements of his governing over the past three years since the USL (Social Liberal Union, PSD's alliance with the National Liberal Party PNL) toppled the Democrat Liberal Party (PDL) government led by then PM Mihai Razvan Ungureanu. He cited the unblocking of all the operational programmes, which - he claimed - have meanwhile become functional and available for the future governments.

Photo credit: (c) Mihai POZIUMSCHI / AGERPRES PHOTO

In an event styled "Three years ? the beginning of the end of Basescu ? MRU ? Predoiu regime", Ponta presented two slides reading "USL has promised: prime minister from PSD, President from PNL" and "USL has promised: Basescu and Udrea in jail ? partly done." He was referring to former president Traian Basescu, former prime minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu, former justice minister Catalin Predoiu (now PNL's nominee for prime minister, after the party withdrew from USL and merged with PDL) and former minister Elena Udrea (Basescu's political pupil; she is currently under arrest pending trial for several counts of corruption and money laundering).

Ponta's report pointed out that back in 2012, when USL came to power, graduates ? including those of the Police Academy ? used to go directly to unemployment. He mentioned as USL's successes the unblocking of teaching, medical and military positions.

"I want us not to forget that, after 700,000 working places were lost in 2010-2011, we managed together to create more than 250,000 jobs. After the economic recession ? because Romania was in economic recession in the second quarter of 2012 ? we are now in the fourth year of economic growth, although in such a...