Ludovic Orban returns to PNL congress after five years, signals readiness to merge Forța Dreptei

Return after five years

Ludovic Orban walked into the PNL extraordinary congress at Romexpo on June 21, his first in half a decade. He had resigned from the party five years ago after what he called a backroom deal, but on Sunday he described himself as "a liberal whose heart beats for liberalism and for the destiny of the PNL."

I am glad that the PNL president invited me to the congress. After 5 years I am again at a PNL congress, for now as a guest, but a liberal whose heart beats for liberalism and the PNL's destiny.

The appearance, at the invitation of PNL president Ilie Bolojan, marks a sharp shift from the rupture that led Orban to found his own party, Forța Dreptei, in late 2021. He said his attendance was "for now as a guest," but left little doubt about his long-term intentions.

Fusion talks on the table

Orban confirmed that he and Bolojan have already had preliminary discussions and that both sides are open to a formal merger. The next step, he explained, would be for the new PNL leadership to issue a negotiating mandate.

We will hold negotiations. I have discussed the principle with Ilie Bolojan, and there is openness from our side, from Forța Dreptei. After that, a merger protocol must be negotiated and validated in the statutory bodies of both parties.

Pressed on whether he would rejoin personally, Orban replied: "My answer is categorically yes. The new line of the PNL, the new thinking and political strategy, represents me. I am convinced I can put my shoulder, with my modest powers and those of my colleagues, to a serious liberal construction."

Internal party tensions

While Orban framed his potential return as a reunion, he also addressed frictions inside the PNL. He dismissed claims from critics such as Adrian Veștea that the party is undergoing a "userisation", a term suggesting it is morphing into the style of the reformist USR, as "fables." He portrayed the current turmoil not as a split but as a "necessary doctrinal clarification" that would eventually expel those who have plotted with outside forces, including the Social Democrats (PSD) and the presidential institution, to capture or divide the party.

After the congress, the newly elected leadership is expected to meet with Forța Dreptei officials to begin work on the merger protocol, with both sides aiming to reunify the liberal camp ahead of future electoral cycles.