The leaders of the National Liberal Party (PNL) validated, on January 25, in the National Council meeting, the candidacy of Crin Antonescu (65) for the presidential elections, which will take place in May. According to the official announcement, the decision was made unanimously.

"I am happy to fight this battle because I believe that PNL has a future because it has a past, because it has ideas," Antonescu said after the decision was made, as quoted by Ziarul Financiar.

Former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu's candidacy still needs to be approved at the Social Democrats (PSD) congress on February 2.

A history teacher by profession, Crin Antonescu became the head of PNL in 2009 and one year later, in 2010, one of the founders and leaders of USL – the first joint construction of his Liberal party with its traditional rival – the Social Democratic Party (PSD) at that time headed by Victor Ponta. USL also included the opportunistic party of local oligarch Dan Voiculescu.

Antonescu's highest achievement was serving as interim president during what is best known as the failed coup d'etat against president Traian Basescu in 2012. But it was not exactly an achievement, as the attempt to remove president Basescu failed amid protests of Romania's western foreign development partners and insufficient support in the public referendum on the matter. 

Crin Antonescu was among the authors of USL's attempt to remove president Traian Basescu from his seat in 2012, with the final aim of preventing his anticorruption campaign pursued through, among others, the empowerment of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). USL replaced at that time the heads of key institutions (both chambers of the parliament and the Ombudsman) and revised laws and regulations to overturn Basescu. 

Eventually, Antonescu stepped down from his PNL leadership, opening the door to Klaus Iohannis (another supporter of the party's alliance with the Social Democrats) and remained idle over the past decade.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)