#2019PresidentialElection/ INTERVIEW Theodor Paleologu: Debate on next five years - jammed by government crisis

Romania needs a diplomat to restore its international prestige and to create consensus within the society, says Theodor Paleologu, the People's Movement Party (PMP) candidate for presidential elections, in an interview with AGERPRES. He criticizes the fact that the electoral debate on the candidates' projects for the highest office in the state is "jammed " by a government crisis. "The debate over the next 5 years is jammed by a government crisis and at this moment everyone discusses how many votes Ludovic Orban [prime minister-designate] has, who goes into government, what conditions UDMR [Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania] is setting, what conditions (PRO Romania, ed. n.) Ponta is setting, what conditions (ALDE, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, ed. n.) Tariceanu is imposing. That is, instead of having a serious debate about projects for the future, we are talking about some absolutely embarrassing parliamentary artifices," argues Paleologu. He also talked about the need for a "broad modification" of the Constitution, so that the president can take on more powers, which would allow him/her, in crisis situations, to dissolve Parliament quickly and to provoke early elections. Regarding the electoral support from other parties, Paleologu states that "USR [Save Romania Union] has remained, from a moral standpoint, without a candidate" and suggests to Dan Barna to listen to the "voice of the people". AGERPRES: Mr. Theodor Paleologu, why did you choose to run for president in a party from which you previously chose to leave, recently explaining that you didn't like it anymore? What exactly convinced you now? Theodor Paleologu: I did not see another party that would represent my values and that would be suitable for the presidential position. The presidential candidate must first and foremost think of the nation. I am supported by the PMP. The PMP is part of the European People's Party, the European People's family brings together the classical right-wing parties in Europe, parties with which I voted wherever I stayed. In France, I always voted for the UMP [the Union for a Popular Movement] and Les Republicains, I voted for Chirac, I voted for Sarkozy, I voted for Fillon. In Germany, I voted for the CDU [Christian Democratic Union of Germany], I also voted for the FDP [Free Democratic Party ], it is true, in the elections to European Parliament. Yes, the PMP is part of this large family of right-wing parties in Europe. So, ideologically, I have no problem from this point of view. I do not know if you have noticed that a political party has been added and supports my candidacy, the Right Alternative. I expect USR-PLUS and other groups that would be interested in promoting real change to come along. AGERPRES: Why should Romanians vote for you and not for another candidate? Theodor Paleologu: This is a question that you probably ask everyone you get to interview (as you will not get to do so with some, under any circumstance, as they do not lower themselves to talk to ordinary mortals). It is a question that, somehow, invites us to praise ourselves, which I am not going to do. I believe that Romania needs a diplomat to restore Romania's international prestige and also a diplomat to create consensus within the Romanian society. Romania needs a project for the next 20 years, it needs continuity, and for there to be continuity there needs to be a minimum consensus on some major objectives. AGERPRES: Romania needs consensus, but what should the current political class understand by this consensus? What about the ordinary citizen? In what way is this statement of yours addressed to national minorities? Theodor Paleologu: Obviously it includes them, because the problems of ethnic minorities are exactly the same we all suffer from. There is very little different from what we all know in our daily experience, the same problems: the healthcare system, education, infrastructure. These are the great pains of Romanians, including those belonging to ethnic minorities. AGERPRES: What should the current political class understand by this consensus? Theodor Paleologu: The Romanian-Romanian wars do not get us anywhere. AGERPRES: President-player or president-mediator? Theodor Paleologu: Mediator is written in the Constitution. I intend to respect the current Constitution, while proposing its revision. The president also has an important task, to address the nation through messages in front of Parliament. He can state some principles, he can tell the truth. In fact, he has at his disposal an extremely important power which, unfortunately, the current president has not used at all. According to the job description, the president is, however, a talking entity. AGERPRES: Do you deem necessary a broad assumption of the political class, based on an initial agreement, on topics that will lead to Romania's stable development and, if so, how will you proceed to coalesce such an approach and on what topics? Theodor Paleologu: Obviously it is not easy, because the Romanians are not Danish, German or Swedish. I was in Denmark, in 2006, when such a process of defining a country project for the next 20 years was completed, and Prime Minister Rasmussen gathered all the parties, unions, employers, Danish experts and international experts around the table and together they drafted a project that they all held on to, governments changed, majorities changed. They have been true to that project since 2006. 13 years have passed and they have not deviated one word from that project approved by everybody. This is the model I aspire towards, knowing, obviously, that our mentality is different, we are quarrelsome, confrontational. It is true, but that does not mean that in Romania 2 and 2 do not equal 4, or that we can invent wheels that are not round. If we want development, we need continuity. And if we want continuity, we need consensus. It's simple! I think even a Romanian politician can understand this. AGERPRES: What is the main foreign policy goal you would promote as President of Romania? Theodor Paleologu: With regard to diplomacy, my answer is always two-pronged: one level is about the big goals, the second is about diplomacy specifics. You asked me what my main goal would be and for me this is the reform of the European Union. More precisely, overcoming the profound crisis the European Union is currently going through. This is not about what one can do alone. Obviously, together with our partners we'll have to find an appropriate solution or solutions to get the European Union out of this crisis. AGERPRES: How could President Theodor Paleologu influence topics such as Romania's Schengen accession, the visa waiver for Romanians in the US and lifting the CVM? Theodor Paleologu: There are many aspects that depend on how the government is doing their job, and the president must be constantly on the watch. Because the CVM report released this Tuesday states very clearly that we reversed progress and this is a reality we are all aware of, but this is the responsibility of the Dancila Government. The president alone cannot change things like this, but he can give a direction, he can negotiate a broad coalition that should pursue certain objectives. Now I realize that I did not fully answer your earlier question, about the country project. The country project must include a multitude of aspects related to the economy, the tax policy, red-tape cutting, the predictability of the state, infrastructure, the profound overhaul of education, the reform of the health system. So this is an extremely large project, which should tackle all the major problems Romania is facing. And in this series of very difficult problems I also include the extremely serious demographic crisis we are facing. AGERPRES: You said that you saw a need for a substantial reform of the Constitution. Could you list some of the changes that should be made and what is the motivation for these changes? Theodor Paleologu: I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of Romanians still want to elect their president by universal suffrage. If that is the case, we must give the president the possibility to truly fulfill his mandate. It is therefore necessary for the president to be able to dissolve Parliament when he finds that a crisis situation has been reached, without having to go through the current extremely complicated procedure. Early elections cannot be organized on the basis of the current Constitution, they are provided for in principle, but in fact they are not possible. I say that we should have this possibility and we have to leave to the president the power of dissolving Parliament and call early elections. I also believe that the president should be able to replace the prime minister. If he is the one to designate him, he should also be able to replace him. AGERPRES: How do you imagine Romania at the end of your term as president? What do you want to change? Theodor Paleologu: I want a well-respected and safe Romania. An educated Romania and, at the same time, performing Romania where meritocracy has been restored. AGERPRES: Your father, diplomat Alexandru Paleologu, would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. How does this affect your electoral campaign? Theodor Paleologu: The writer Alexandru Paleologu, because he only served a short time as a diplomat, although he was indeed a diplomat in the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs from '44 until '47, when he was kicked out by Ana Pauker. I think this centennial anniversary has given me the impetus to engage in the campaign, because I think this campaign is the most beautiful memorial I could raise for my father. On the other hand, the Paleologu Foundation has done other things as well, we organized courses about my father, conferences, we started re-publishing his books on our own resources, his "Bunul simt ca paradox/Common sense as a paradox" has already appeared. "Spiritul si litera/Spirit and letter" will follow soon, and "Despre lucrurile cu adevărat importante/On the really important things" will probably also appear by the end of the year. AGERPRES: The presidential election campaign is almost halfway. What minuses and pluses, compared to other periods, have you identified so far? Theodor Paleologu: I see only one plus: my participation. Otherwise, it's only minuses because those who consider themselves already entered in the second round - based on I don't know what fanciful polls - refuse the debate. Neither Iohannis, nor Dancila or Barna want to engage in a debate and set all kinds of ridiculous conditions they know perfectly well that cannot be met. Iohannis said right from the start that he doesn't discuss with anyone, that he is above all. Mrs. Dancila says she would only discuss with Iohannis, Barna says he would only enter a debate with Iohannis and Dancila. Basically, we have no debate and I think that this is a completely irresponsible attitude that betrays contempt for the people and democracy. Another very serious minus is that the debate regarding the next 5 years is jammed by a government crisis and at this moment everyone discusses how many votes Ludovic Orban can rely on, who takes up governing, what are the conditions set by the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania, what are Ponta's and Tariceanu's conditions and so on. That is, instead of having a serious debate about future projects, we are talking absolutely embarrassing parliamentary artifices. AGERPRES: You have publicly proposed the USR-PLUS presidential candidate Dan Barna to throw his support behind your candidacy, explaining him that his chances to make it to the runoff are lower than yours. Did you convince him? Theodor Paleologu: No, no. I didn't propose him anything, I only suggested him to listen to the USR voters, to listen to the USR base and even to USR members who, at this moment, no longer have an official candidate. Basically the USR is now morally without a candidate. And then, it's just natural that many USR and PLUS members, supporters and voters are turning to me. Sure, Mr. Barna does what he wants, I cannot give him advice or ask him anything, my only suggestion is that he should listen to the people's voice. AGERPRES: In a previous interview you said that you would release your team, if you garner more than 10 percent. Can you list three names that should not be missing from this list? Theodor Paleologu: No, I won't do it now because it would upset the others who were not nominated. At this moment, I stand around 10 percent, but anyway things are changing very fast. Some candidates are in a freefall, it's only natural for others to grow equally fast. So, I will very soon announce some of the names on my list of advisers. AGERPRES: Do you consider returning to party politics after the election? Where exactly, in the PMP? Theodor Paleologu: Why should I be considering this? The president is not allowed to be a member of a political party. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Mirela Barbulescu; EN - authors: Simona Iacob, Simona Klodnischi, editor: Maria Voican, Simona Iacob)