ALDE's Tariceanu accuses gov't window dressing coronavirus public data

National leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu has said President Klaus Iohannis, is panicked by the spread of the new coronavirus because the official coronavirus data made public would be sugar coated while the real situation would be dramatic.

"I listened very carefully to Mr Iohannis when he explained the reasons why it was necessary to extend the state of emergency for another 30 days. I saw a panicked president, who, in many words - not at all usual for Mr Iohannis - was trying convince us of how serious the [coronavirus] situation is. We all agree that we are not in the best time of our lives, but it is clear that the president's panic does not come from the public data we all have access to, but from some data that the authorities keep hidden from us, but cannot keep them away from the presidential institution. I hope that Mr Iohannis has seen that the figures that the authorities release are sugar coated for the public," Tariceanu wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

He explained that the 66,000 tests performed mean about 22,000 Romanians checked.

He said he cannot support the actions of an administration that "is not honest with the public," because he does not believe that "a country can be ruled by lying."