USR's Drula: Dacian Ciolos leaving USR violates a promise made to Romanians

Dacian Ciolos leaving the Save Romania Union (USR) is unfortunate and violates a promise made to Romanians in the last three years, according to USR national leader Catalin Drula.

"The departure of any colleague is unfortunate, but of Dacian Ciolos is maybe a little more so because it violates a promise made to the Romanians in the last three years. 'We have united and we are moving toward victory,' said our slogan of 2019, which so many colleagues in USR and PLUS [Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party] live by every day in their work in this unique project. I have to confess that this gesture is politically incomprehensible. We are at a tipping point for Romania. USR is the democratic opposition, the one that fights for the modernisation of Romania against PSD-PNL [Social Democratic Party - National Liberal Party] the system's colossus. Breaking away and fragmentation would be the least things we need when there is so much work in the fight that matters," Drula said in a message to the USR party colleagues.

According to him, Romania does not need political projects focused on individuals, pride and vanity, and USR is a solid institution, the institution of modernising democratic liberalism in Romania, which will last beyond the name of one person or another.

He added that politics "is a daily battle, a marathon and, above all, team play, and it is done in the streets, in Parliament, in the local councils and in the public arena here in Romania."

MEP Dacian Ciolos announced his departure from USR on Tuesday, saying that he was joining a new political project.

A former USR national leader, Ciolos said in a Facebook post that in the REPER Party he will be joined by the MEPs Ramona Strugariu, Dragos Pislaru, Alin Mituta and Dragos Tudorache