Romania’s ex-PM tops REPER’s EU candidate list

Former prime minister and leader of the Renew Europe group Dacian Cioloș will head REPER’s EU election list, followed by party co-presidents Ramona Strugariu and Dragoș Pîslaru. The party unveiled its political agenda and list of EU candidates on Monday.

The list does not include Dragoș Tudorache, currently an MEP for the party, as he said he wants to return to the European Commission after leaving in 2019.

“We are a party entering the elections for the first time, but our list includes individuals with extensive experience in politics, society, and business. Our ambition is to challenge the electoral status quo, which some seek to maintain through various merged lists and political cartels,” Cioloș told a press conference.

The first 10 candidates on the list include three candidates under 35, reflecting the party’s commitment to ensuring “a bright future for children and young people in Romania.”

“The list also has a perfect gender balance,” said REPER co-president Ramona Strugariu, who also lamented the current political landscape in the country, citing an “unprecedented democratic decline” due to PSD and PNL creating joint lists, ensuring EU elections take place at the same time as local ones and banning representatives of new parties from the polls, among other moves.

In particular, Cioloș promises citizens that he will increase Romania’s influence within the EU, develop areas such as Roșia Montană, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and work to integrate Moldova and Romania within the European Union.

“The success of Moldova’s EU accession negotiations will depend on Romania’s mobilisation at all levels,” said Cioloș, convinced that Moldova can be ready to join the EU by 2030.

At the press conference, Cioloș and his party detailed their EU-level ambitions, noting their preference for a majority vote system instead of the unanimous vote, the creation of a European army and for the EU to have more say in matters of education and health.

“We will focus on representing the people who work in this country” but cannot secure a decent living in “Forgotten Romania”, said Dragoș Pîslaru, who won a seat for REPER after the last EU elections in 2019, referring to the fact that more than a third of the population lives in isolation and poverty, with no comprehensive plan to address their needs.

Meanwhile, the party’s political programme prioritises respect for the rule of law, anti-corruption efforts, and strengthening democracy.

Regarding farmers’ concerns, REPER advocates the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and related policies to ensure fair and inclusive support, taking into account diversity, gender equality, and structural issues in Romanian agriculture.

(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)