Parties unwilling to forego government leadership

The National Liberal Party (PNL), in third place, with 18.57 percent of the Chamber of Deputy votes and 18.74 percent of the Senate votes, is still hoping for a cabinet headed by the current Prime Minister, Calin Popescu Tariceanu. Mircea Geoana, head of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which was the parliamentary election winner, attempted to get a head-start in official negotiations by issuing an invitation for talks with the other parties who are part of the legislature: Democratic Liberal Party (PD-L), National Liberal Party (PNL), and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR).  “As the party that registered success in these elections, I invite the other heads of political parties to begin formal discussions in the presence of the media, if possible, to ensure that the country "gets a quick government,” said Geoană.  In his turn, PNL leader Ludovic Orban declared that his party will negotiate with parties who offer the greatest number of guarantees, with main demands made involving the governing program and executive leadership.