Lib-dem leader: If we don't get the Agriculture commissioner role, we'll negociate for Expansion or Research

Liberal-Democratic Party leader Theodor Stolojan declared on Sunday for Romanian News Agency NewsIn that the Government’s official proposal for designating the European commissioner portfolio remains Agriculture, but Romania presented some other preferences as well, like the portfolio for Expansion, Regional Development and Research.

Lib-dem first vice-president said Romania’s discussions on the European Commissioner portfolio have always included an array of options. But, he added, The European Commission’s president Jose Manuel Barroso has known the Romanian Government option „for a very long time” and after he would get his second mandate, the official negotiations will begin.

According to Stolojan, Romania will only be ready to discuss other options in the event in which the country will be left no chance to get the portfolio for Agriculture. The Reseach department is also an area that Romania is very much uninterested, „bearing in mind Romania’s aim to focus on areas that require innovation” Stolojan said. But the portfolio of Expansion „a very political one”, regarding the Balkans region and Moldova’s European integration” is very interesting for Romania, the lib-dem leader declared.

According to him, PDL has only considered a candidate for Agriculture so far. Romanian diplomacy chief Cristian Diaconescu declared on Saturday that Romania is not going to play the „take it or leave it” card. Romania has several scenarios for the European Commissioner. According to him, the rumours in Brussels go that three candidacies will fail at the European Parliament hearings.

The governing coalition does not seem to agree on the same person to feel the shoes of the European commissioner role is suppose to fill. There are three names coming from Bucharest: Dacian Ciolos, Vasile Puscas and Adrian Severin. But the most stressed name is Cristian Diaconescu, some sources declaring him able to lead the Expansion portfolio.