"This is one of the founders of the Democratic Party, which later became the Liberal Democratic Party. As the party’s senior vice-president, Frunzaverde was the second most important person and the party’s emblem. His image as a Liberal Democrat through and through was stronger than anyone else’s.’’ Frunzaverde held 4 ministry portfolios and was a Euro MP, running on the same Liberal Democratic ticket. He told a press conference why he made the unexpected decision to leave the Liberal Democratic Party. He repeated that Romania is ‘a police state’, where one fears their phone may be tapped or their house may be bugged.

Frunzaverde mentioned that he didn’t refer to recordings made by the press, Jurnalul National adds. He recalled that he had repeatedly called for the drafting of a decentralized budget, which had never been achieved. Frunzaverde said he would not rebuke anyone, but that he did not see eye to eye with the Liberal Democratic Party leadership regarding Romania’s development. “The party has lost a frontline leader and this has only marred his party’s already deteriorated image. The party has a mere 18% approval rate”, daily Adevarul notes.

To add to this, “the current regime’s rivals took the opportunity to propose high-level changes”.”Several Liberal Democrats have called either for leader Emil Boc to resign, or for an extraordinary congress to be held, or for “a new stronger leadership”, the daily Romania Libera writes. The newspaper questions the credibility of Frunzaverde’s statement, according to which he envisages himself “as building the new Right along with National Liberal Party leader Crin Antonescu”.

Romania Libera recalls that “back in December 2007, Sorin Frunzaverde denounced the merger of the Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Party as “an embarrassing fusion”, as he advocated doctrine purity through the full espousal of Christian Democratic values.’ The daily Bursa quotes Liberal Democratic Party leader Emil Boc’s opinion – “Sorin Frunzaverde left and betrayed the cause”. The newspaper claims that “the opposition fully reaps the benefits of the changes within the Liberal Democratic Party, but that the general mood has been upset, with many Liberals voicing criticism as to the Liberal Democrat defectors.”