Dragnea about his DNA file: They pulled out the heavy artillery

Embattled national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea said on Monday evening that "the heavy artillery has been pulled out" as the previous court case concerning the referendum had not reached its goal - that of propelling to the leadership of the party most likely a "good-humoured" team for the local and parliamentary elections. 

"This is not a prank file, it is clear that it is a very difficult matter. (...) Virtually what appeared in the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) press statement is what was brought to my attention as information. (...) It was not an easy day. (...) I tried to read carefully the statement and other documents, I read as much as I could, I did not have much time today, I had a lot of activities. I understood that practically the case was opened in 2016, or in 2001, or in 2014... Let us remember what happened in 2016, when, after being convicted in the referendum case, where I was supposed to give in, and probably there was a team ready to take over the party and stay good-humoured in that electoral year; yet we decided together in the party, we soldiered on toward a great victory in the local elections, a crushing victory in the general election, "Dragnea told Romania TV private broadcaster. 

According to him, after the parliamentary election, "what really scared the most was the content of the government programme, a very well done on and not easy to implement," a programme that does not leave "room for maneuver" to those parties that could endorse President Klaus Iohannis in the 2019 presidential election. 

"Fortunately, we have all the answers for those who have lied in recent months that we cannot implement the programme, but this programme of the government, our desire to reform what is spoiled in some systems scares. At a political level, the programme leaves but an almost inexistent wiggle room for the opposition, that is to say, the parties that might - some of them - endorse President Iohannis in the 2019 presidential election. And, on the other hand, there are institutions and heads of institutions and heads thereof that begin to wonder whether or not things absurdly start working in this country, as they do in the other countries of Europe where there is a consolidated democracy. (...) And surely there are serious struggles (...). The struggle is terrible. The artillery was pulled out in spring, suddenly; the referendum thing did not work, so they pulled out the heavy artillery and began to talk about Brazil, Belina, Tel Drum, in order to increase the level of [my] demonisation in such a way that the public perception appears naturally that a new DNA case file has to be opened; we are going to create a framework of it and go there so that I might give up," said Dragnea. 

He considers that his giving up would introduce reservations and fears inside the parliamentary groups, where there is a clear big question mark over the determination to carry through what has begun, as well as inside the Government. 

Dragnea denounced what he called "a parallel, illegitimate power system that has been operating in Romania for years." AGERPRES .