PNL to appeal Ilfov court suspension of anti-Veștea directives
The National Liberal Party (PNL) is contesting a decision by the Ilfov Tribunal that suspended two of its critical decisions.
The tribunal's ruling, issued swiftly, involved PNL's stance on a potential Veștea Government.
PNL argues the court lacked jurisdiction and plans to appeal.
A civil judge noted the tribunal's lack of competence in internal party matters.
PNL maintains its political decisions remain unaffected.
The National Liberal Party will challenge a Thursday ruling by the Ilfov Tribunal that suspended two internal resolutions barring its MPs from supporting a proposed Veștea Government, arguing the court had no jurisdiction over a dispute centered in Bucharest.
The tribunal halted enforcement of directives that threatened expulsion for any PNL lawmaker voting to install the Veștea cabinet or accepting a ministerial post. The ruling came 90 minutes after sixteen party members filed suit contesting decisions taken by the National Political Bureau, according to Hotnews.ro.
"The Ilfov Tribunal's ruling today does not affect in any way the party's activity and political options," PNL announced in a statement released hours after the decision.
PNL maintains the case should have been heard by the Bucharest Tribunal, given that party headquarters sits in the capital. The liberal formation said it learned of the lawsuit only after judgment had been entered, the file never appeared on the court's public portal, and no representative received notice of proceedings.
A civil judge, speaking to G4Media.ro, said the Ilfov court should have verified its own competence before accepting the case. Internal party governance falls outside the scope of a tribunal with territorial jurisdiction limited to Ilfov County, the judge told the outlet (though the judge was not named in the original report).
The suspended resolutions form part of a broader PNL strategy adopted at an Extraordinary Congress last month. Delegates voted to reject coalition talks with the Social Democratic Party and to block formation of any government led by Prime Minister-designate Veștea. Party leadership warned that supporting such a cabinet would constitute a breach of congress mandates.
Sixteen members, whose names PNL did not disclose, brought the challenge. Their petition argued that the expulsion threat exceeded the National Political Bureau's authority and violated internal statutes guaranteeing freedom of conscience in parliamentary votes.
PNL leadership accused unnamed political actors of instrumentalizing the judiciary. "We call on political forces to refrain from involving courts in political disputes," the statement read, adding that the party would not alter its stance in response to what it termed procedural maneuvers.
The case now moves to appeal. PNL has not specified whether it will seek an expedited hearing or request suspension of the tribunal's interim order while the challenge proceeds. The Bucharest Court of Appeal, which hears cases originating in Ilfov, has not yet scheduled a session.
Meanwhile, the sixteen plaintiffs have not issued a public statement. It remains unclear whether they intend to defend the first-instance ruling or negotiate a settlement that would allow the resolutions to stand with modified language.
Parliamentary arithmetic has grown tighter since the congress vote. PNL holds 38 seats in a 466-member bicameral legislature. Loss of even a handful of deputies to a Veștea coalition would not shift the overall balance, but it would deepen internal fractures ahead of local elections scheduled for June.
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