Opposition leader Orban, President Iohannis discuss political issues, including presidential election

National leader of the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban said after a meeting on Tuesday with President Klaus Iohannis that their talks focused on internal and European policy issues, as well as canvassing for the presidential election, given that PNL supports Iohannis' re-election for a new term. 

"We had domestic policy talks, European policy talks, and we also had a start, so to say, of discussions about the presidential election campaigning, and you very well know that PNL is endorsing President Iohannis' bids, and our objective is winning the presidential election (...) Our talks were serious and focused on national, European political themes and especially on preparing the party for campaigning and for winning the presidential election," said Orban. 

According to him, Iohannis asked PNL for "determination, mobilisation and seriousness." 

He added that PNL will most likely start the signature collection campaign for the presidential election around August 10; as the campaign staff will be soon set up. 

"Our objective is to complete our campaign staff at national, county and local level by August 1 (...) The entire National Liberal Party is ready to fight with all its might to win the presidential election, and our relationship with the President of Romania is a very serious, very stable relationship, which is based on a strong partnership, for the good of Romania," said Orban. 

About domestic policy issues, he mentioned that their talks regarded a constitutional revision draft, electoral law developments, issues related to a recent report by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). 

In terms of European policies, Orban and Iohannis discussed the vote for the election of the president of the European Commission, with Orban voicing support for the candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) Ursula von der Leyen.