PM Tariceanu, President Basescu renew tensions

Romanian prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu replied on Tuesday to renewed criticism against him by President Traian Basescu who in a TV talk-show on Monday evening dismiss a recent comparison of Tariceanu’s between him and Belarus strongman Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Tariceanu said today that he was most interested in the problems of the citizens than in conflicts and scandals, as the head of state is.

The prime minister took stand after Basescu appeared on the public television last night to make his point on the crisis that has been affecting political stage in Bucharest for more than a week.

Basescu’s intervention came as the two main groups forming the governing coalition, the Democrats under his wing and Tariceanu’s Liberals, finally agreed to maintain their alliance despite tensions between the head of state and the head of government.