to occur in May 2023). In terms of external politics, the CNR government led by Ciucă expressed serious concern over the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Internally, the PNL chose their new secretary-general on 27 May 2022, when the party's national council re-united to vote for this position in front of 1,000 national delegates. Scissions and mergers Parties seceded from PNL National Liberal Party - Youth Wing (1990); Liberal Union–Brătianu (1990); National Liberal Party - Democratic Convention (1991); National Liberal Party-Câmpeanu (1995); Liberal Democratic Party (2006); Liberal Reformist Party (2014); Liberal Right Party (2019); Force of the Right (2021); Liberal Conservative Platform (2022). Parties absorbed by PNL Socialist Liberal Party (1990); Progressive Peasant Party (1993); New Liberal Party (1993); Liberal Party '93/Liberal Party (1998); Civic Alliance Party (1998); Alliance for Romania (2002); Union of Right-wing Forces (2003); National Liberal Party-Câmpeanu (2003); People's Action (2008); Democratic Force (2012); Democratic Liberal Party (2014); Popular Party (2015); National Democratic Party (2019); Youth Civic Action Platform (2019); Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (2022). Ideology The party adheres to the doctrine of liberalism in the form of conservative liberalism and liberal conservatism, advocating both economic and social liberalization. The party also takes a pro-European stance. In recent years, it has focused more on economic liberalism and a shift to a more catch all platform. The National Liberal Party (PNL) also supports conservative initiatives and policies and the state in moral and religious issues, as well as the privatization and denationalization of the economy, a trend which is currently taking place quite rapidly in Romania, as in other post-communist economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Unlike its Western counterparts, the party is more nationalist and traditionalist on social issues, such as LGBT rights. The party has factions of adherence to Christian democracy, national liberalism, ethnic nationalism, neoliberalism, and social conservatism. The party has also been described as populist, while former president Florin Cîțu rejects this qualification. However, after joining the European People's Party (EPP) and especially under Cîțu and Ciucă's leadership, the party became more conservative, Radio Free Europe calling it "liberal only in the name". In economic regards, it deems significant the fact that taxes must be lowered and that the private sector of the national economy must be expanded and helped by a series of new laws in order to generate more value. It also advocates a decentralization of Romania's political structure, with greater autonomy given