The NGO started earlier this year by a group of the Romanian president's counselors under the name Miscarea Populara- Popular Movement - is becoming a center – right party under the same name. The decision was made after a poll on the NGOs website showed that that only 11 percent of the respondents wanted the new movement to stay a foundation, while the rest saw it becoming a party.

Presidential adviser Sebastian Lăzăroiu (in picture) recently said the new party will be open to welcoming people from other parties, including from the Democratic Liberal Party PDL, which, in his opinion, might cease to exist in 2016.

The former PDL vice-president Sever Voinescu, who said he would not be involved in creating the new party, also said many of those unhappy with the PDL leadership will join Miscarea Populara for Traian Basescu – the country's president, who is, commentators say, behind the new project. Thus the PDL could pay a high price for having cut ties with president Traian Basescu. Basescu, himself a former PDL chief before taking the presidential seat, recently supported candidate Elena Udrea in the PDL leadership vote, but when the incumbent party president Lucian Blaga won another mandate, Basescu said he'd part ways with PDL. Soon after, the new Miscarea Populara was created.

Elena Udrea, who lost the race to become head of PDL, said that the new Mişcarea Populară will be successful, but said she will not join the party. She advised the PDL leaders not to treat Mişcarea Populară as an enemy, but rather as an ally, and maybe support the same presidential candidate in the upcoming race.

editor@romania-insider.com