Government, opposition leaders say ready to become prime minister of Romania following fall general elections

Romanian prime minister and National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Social Democratic (PSD, opposition) president Mircea Geoana and the deputy head of the Democratic-Liberal Party (PD-L, opposition) Theodor Stolojan all announced on Friday they would be ready to become prime minister of Romania, should their party come first in general elections later this fall.

Tariceanu said he was enthusiastic about announcing his plan to be the PNL candidate for the position of prime minister. He lauded at a party reunion in the Black Sea resort of Neptun the major accomplishments of his government and said Romania had the chance to become the seventh economic power within the EU.

Also on Friday, on a trip to Alexandria, South Romania, PSD president Mircea Geoana said he would be the prime minister of a future PSD government. While no official decision was taken at party level in this regard, Geoana said he would be proud to represent a government of PSD and their Conservative Party (PC, a small parliamentary party) allies.

And the first deputy president of the PD-L, Theodor Stolojan, said Friday he wanted to submit his candidacy to run for PM on behalf of his party, but that did not mean he would necessarily be chosen for the position by the party.