SocDem Dragnea: External stakes for current Government to leave, in view of counterpart to scandal with Hungary

Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea said on Sunday night, at private TV broadcaster Antena 3, that there are external political stakes for the current Government not to be in office when Romania takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, talking about "a very large offensive of the European populists [European people's Party, EPP, ed.n.]," generated by the fact that they want "a counterpart to the scandal with Hungary." 

According to Dragnea, there is such an interest from President Klaus Iohannis and the "underground" system, built from "people in the services, the Prosecutor's Office and Courts", but that there is also an external interest. 

"The president has one [a stake ed. n], so does this underground system, and I am referring to people from the services, from the prosecutors's offices, the courts. There is also the external political interest, there is a very large offensive from the European populists, because the MEP elections are coming, they want to keep having the Presidency of the European Commission, they want to have the majority in the European Parliament, which means that the rules in the European Commission, in the European Union, in this space we are also part of, to be made by them. And of course that any hits that they can apply to left-winged parties, which are, well, adversaries, they administer", PSD Chairman said. 

Dragnea added that the offensive of the European People's Party is generated by the fact that "a counterpart to the Hungarian scandal" is wanted. 

"There are also external political stakes. (...) PSD is the largest left-wing party in Europe, unfortunately. There are only five countries in which the Prime Minister is a Social-Democrat. (...) And there is a very large offensive of the European populists - this is also the offensive generated in the European Parliament, because they want a counterpart to the scandal with Hungary, which is among the Europeans populists.