National Liberal Party (PNL) first vice-president Ciprian Ciucu told fellow liberals on Monday, ahead of the party's National Political Bureau meeting, that President Nicusor Dan is putting pressure on the PNL while protecting the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and 'playing for the breakup of the PNL,' describing the situation as 'a putsch triggered by an action of the head of state.'

Ciucu said he cannot attend the National Political Bureau meeting because he is abroad, having announced last week that he would participate in an international event for mayors.

'Today, the PNL's National Political Bureau is meeting. It will probably be a historic session that will determine the future course of the PNL and possibly of our country. Since I am abroad, I want to share a few thoughts with my fellow liberals - openly, directly and assuming full responsibility for them. (...) Dear liberal colleagues, Nicusor Dan is putting pressure on the PNL while protecting the PSD. He has done exactly the opposite of what reason dictated: if he wanted a political government, he should have nominated a Social Democrat. They brought down the government, they are the larger party. The president is pushing for a split - a split within the PNL,' Ciucu wrote on Facebook.

He added that a similar situation had occurred in 1935, when King Carol II appointed Liberal Gheorghe Tatarascu as prime minister over the heads of the PNL leadership.

'It was dangerous then and it is dangerous now. We are practically talking about a putsch triggered by an action of the head of state. It is dangerous for democracy, pluralism and parliamentarism. The president chose to put pressure on our party, not on the PSD. Why? History will answer. The PSD has once again disappeared from the scene for the moment, but we should not forget who the aggressor was: the PSD,' Ciucu wrote.

He warned that PNL branches are becoming divided and claimed that some party colleagues are 'implementing the PSD's plan.'

'In the meantime, we see our branches divided, we see internal struggles that the PNL did not need. And some of our colleagues - you know who they are - are carrying out the PSD's plan. Some of our colleagues, without our mandate and behind our backs, conspired with our political opponents against us. Acting in good faith, Ilie Bolojan brought Adrian Vestea to the PNL leadership back in 2024 and invited him to all consultations at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. What he did not know was that Vestea was conducting his own negotiations with Nicusor Dan, supported by the putschist faction within the PNL. Such things should not happen,' Ciucu said.

He added that the PNL had previously been a presidential party and 'ended up badly,' while those close to the former president - 'the same people as today's putschists' - had been protected and privileged.

The National Political Bureau of the PNL is scheduled to meet on Monday at 5:00 p.m. Lawmakers, county-seat mayors and county council presidents who are not members of the party leadership are invited to attend. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Alina Novaceanu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)