PM Orban,after his visit to Brussels: Romania should become more influential, more involved in decision-making

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban stated on Thursday evening, in the context of his visit to Brussels, that the decisions at the European Union level create consequences and Romania should become more influential, more involved in the decision making process.

"What happens in Brussels has direct consequences in the life of any citizen. (...) There should be a greater attention paid to what we do at the level of European institutions. For the decisions made there create consequences. If we don't organise our lobby system, if we don't coordinate and we don't try to use our (PNL's - the National Liberal Party] influence in the EPP [the European People's Party] group, the same as the USR-PLUS [the Save Romania Union and the Liberty, Unity, Solidarity Party ] has in ALDE [the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe] and the PSD [the Social Democratic Party] and Pro Romania in the Socialists group so that, on certain topics in which Romania has clear interest, instead of arguing and playing a sad drama the people don't understand anything from, we should coordinate and have a concentrated action. You know that the important countries in the European Union are coordinating to support their interests in the decision-making mechanisms. And Romania should become more influential, more involved in decision-making, so that the decisions at European level have beneficial effects for Romanians," Ludovic Orban told Realitatea Plus private broadcaster.

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban paid a working visit to Brussels between 7 and 9 January, occasion on which he met European and NATO officials.