What the newspapers say: February 17, 2011

Internal struggles within the Democratic Liberal party are the focus of most newspapers on Thursday as well. One thing is certain though, PM Boc will be replaced since after days of negotiations and rumours, most PDL members see PM Boc stepping down. Another party expected to make important changes is the Hungarian Democratic Party where a new party president will be elected. Culture minister Kelemen Hunor is one of the favorites to the highest position and he talks in an interview about his visions.

Gandul reads about President Basescu’s determination to convince Democratic Liberal members that the future of the party lies in a few important, strategic changes. Basescu is convinced that the party has to change gears in order to continue and gain the public’s trust for the upcoming 2012 elections.

Basescu told party members that the party’s trust rate is at 11%, plus minus a 3% error margin and that all members have a responsibility to make everything in their power to increase the trust rate to 30% at least. An independent Prime Minister would be an act of courage from the party that can relaunch the party in the eyes of the public, PDL deputy Sever Voinescu said.

Moreover the President said that the party needs to seek solutions and acknowledge the reality of the 2012 elections. In the same vein, Evenimentul Zilei reads that one thing is sure in all internal PDL turmoil, that Prime Minister Emil Boc will step down and will be replaced.

Most PDL members agree that the party lacks credibility and that measures to enhance trust of the population need to be taken. All rumours point to the fact that Boc will be supported for the highest position in the party if he would want to run.

However, there is still the candidacy of Vasile Blaga, who announced previously that he will run against Boc if necessary. It remains to be seen whether it will be necessary or not and whether Boc will choose to run.

Romania libera reads, in an interview with Culture minister Kelemen Hunor about his strategies if elected president of the Hungarian Democratic Party. One of the favorites to the race, Hunor says that Hungarian Democrats will govern with PDL until 2012 and believes that till then, the party will regain its electorate lost in the economic crisis.

On the long term, the current Culture minister suggests that the Union should opt only for right wing governments and believes, like his main counter candidate that there are premises to set up territorial autonomy wanted by the region where most Hungarian ethnics live. Hunos says he has been 15 years member in the party and time has come for him to run for the highest position in the party. He says he has both the experience and the knowledge over the organization.

When asked whether he considers it a disadvantage to be supported by the incumbent Hungarian Democratic President Marko Bela, Hunor said that he has been working with him for over 10 years and that he considers it a sign that Bela considers him capable to run the party.

Hunor clearly said that in 2012, his party will opt for a center right coalition if possible and that the Hungarian Democrats’ main ally is the Hungarian community.