Several hours before his meeting with President Ion Iliescu, scheduled for last night, PM Adrian Nastase seemed to have taken yet another step towards mending relations with the Cotroceni Palace, considering the two leaders had had conflicting opinions the early elections issue over the last two months. Furthermore, the PM showed he had given up the early elections idea, which he now regards as an "artificial" issue, "exaggeratedly" debated.
Adrian Nastase told Mediafax in an interview yesterday that the relationship between President Ion Iliescu and the ruling party cannot possibly be conflictive, especially considering the special ties between the two political players.
"The President has a symbolic value for PSD (Social Democrat Party), he was our party's candidate and conflicts between us would be contrary to our nature or interests. As far as I am concerned, I have openly and honestly dialogued with President Iliescu and I will always do so. I see no reason why there should be any changes in the future," Nastase said.
President Ion Iliescu was to meet with PM Adrian Nastase, Foreign minister Mircea Geoana, the Senate and Chamber of Deputies speakers, Nicolae Vacaroiu and Valer Dorneanu last night to set the priorities for 2003. The ruling leaders were also to discuss the foreign policy agenda and the legislative priorities of the next parliamentary session.
Prior to these talks, Foreign minister Mircea Geoana had said that the political-diplomatic agenda for 2003 was to be discussed during the meeting in Cotroceni. He added that the President, Parliament, the Foreign Ministry and the Cabinet were to come to terms on the 2003 political and diplomatic schedule during the same meeting.
"The early elections are an artificial issue, exaggeratedly debated lately. They were a political solution, but were turned into a political dispute instead," the PM specified.
Now that the early elections idea has been dropped, the PM is considering several changes in the Cabinet in the first half of the year. He pointed to "reorganising the Government's activity", an action not called for by him, or by the President or by the PSD, but by the "national interest."
Although not explicitly saying he will proceed to reshuffle, the PM explains, "any rule needs readjustment to the new realities every now and then." Which readjustment will take the Prague and Copenhagen moments into account.
Fighting corruption, with direct reference to the political corruption was yet another topic covered by Adrian Nastase. He said a new stage in corruption fighting was to come after the establishment of the National Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office last year, that is making the spending of the public funds transparent all the way from tenders to debts to the state budget.
Inquired whether Romania was to participate in a possible US military intervention in Iraq, Nastase said the Romanian State had to fulfil its duties as an US ally and future NATO member.
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