Tariceanu: ALDE might grab 15pct at European Parliament elections, running for Romania's presidency to be decided

Chairman of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE, minor at rule, ed.n.) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu stated on Monday evening, at TVR 1 national television broadcaster that the party he is leading has a chance to grab a 15-percent vote at the EU Parliament election next year, mentioning that he will afterwards decide whether to run for Romania's presidency.

"Our ambition is to finally surpass PNL [National Liberal Party, the Opposition, ed.n.], to show that we are the only truly authentic Liberal party," Calin-Popescu Tariceanu stated.

He underscored that neither him, nor ALDE have the intention to break the ruling coalition but want to carry out the programme assumed with the Social Democratic Party (PSD, major at rule, ed.n.) and yet wishes his party to have its own identity.

"I'll say it again: there is no intention on behalf of ALDE to break down the coalition, we don't have another political project. (...) We have a mandate we have received from electors (...), we have taken responsibility for the alliance with PSD (...) and I believe it is fair, to go all the way in this format," Tariceanu said.

The ALDE leader mentioned he does not rule out the possibility of running for the office of president of Romania at the future presidential elections.

"I have said it before, the idea of the candidacy is not foreign to me, I do not refuse it de plano (...), but it is far too early now to make this decision and probably around the time of the elections for the European Parliament, that's how I see it, would be the time a decision must be made," Tariceanu affirmed.

He says he might obtain an even better score than the party he is leading, being better positioned in polls than it, but considers that with "the PSD force" backing him his chances of success might increase considerably.

"The PSD force is a major factor, a decisive factor," Calin Popescu-Tariceanu added.AGERPRES(RO - author: Oana Malina Negrea, editor: Antonia Nita; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Maria Voican)