RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Dismissals and resignations within the Social Democratic Party

Despite their domination of the political scene in Romania, the Social Democrats are still anxious about the upcoming presidential elections.

, 22.10.2014, 13:55

The Romanian government relies on the Social Democratic Party, which, joined by the Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, the National Union for the Progress of Romania, and the Conservative Party, enjoys a comfortable majority in Parliament. It leads most of the county councils and has the largest number of mayors elected across the country. All it is missing now is the Presidency, the pearl in the crown for a semi-presidential system with a voter pool that still has a paternalistic mentality, according to which the head of state bears the guilt or the merit for everything that goes on in the country.



Faced with a divided centre-right opposition with low calibre candidates, Social Democrat leader, Prime Minister Victor Ponta, is the favourite in the presidential election next month, according to polls. The game, however, is not yet decided, as the left seems to make more and more mistakes, and seems to be on the verge of making some big mistake. In order to improve their image, in Tuesday’s emergency meeting, the Social Democrats decided to suspend three of their emblematic leaders from all the functions they held within the party. Here is SDP president Victor Ponta himself:



“All three are suspended from all the positions they held within the party, and in our first Executive Committee meeting we will debate whether their actions have caused damage or not in the election campaign. Whoever makes mistakes pays for them, and if they have problems, they have to deal with them, as everyone else focuses on what we have to do in governance, in management at the local level and in the election campaign.”



Colourful Bucharest sector mayor Marian Vanghelie, and Sebastian Ghita, a millionaire member of parliament, were sanctioned for heavy language used during exchanges lately. Also suspended was the party spokesperson himself, Senator Dan Sova, who was indicted Monday by anti-corruption prosecutors for influence peddling.



Deputy Viorel Hrebenciuc, former leader of the Social Democratic group in Parliament, is being investigated in the same case. He resigned from Parliament, after being accused by prosecutors of using his influence with Sova to persuade the latter to introduce a bill in parliament to grant amnesty and pardons for several cases of corruption, promising in exchange to help him get the chairmanship of the party. Hrebenciuc, one of the oldest and most influential members of the post-communist left, is also under investigation for influence peddling in the case of the retrocession of tens of thousands of hectares of forest, a case in which prosecutors claim the state incurred losses worth over 300 million Euros.



Prime Minister Ponta hailed his resignation, saying that the former MP had made this decision to protect the SDP and Parliament from attacks in the election campaign. Analysts believe that the party may resort to even further ritual sacrifices in order to increase their chances to grab the Presidency, which they haven’t held in 14 years.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Source: NATO)
Today in the News Tuesday, 05 November 2024

NATO must stay united

NATO will work with the winner of the US elections, whoever that person may be and will do its best to stay united, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte...

NATO must stay united
Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe
The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Election campaigns in Romania

    The campaign for the general election in Romania started last week, at midnight on Thursday, and will end on 30 November. During this...

Election campaigns in Romania
November 1 - National Radio Day
Today in the News Friday, 01 November 2024

Radio Romania 96

Radio Romania has celebrated 96 years since it first entered the listeners houses from Romania and abroad. On November 1 1928 the Romanians were able...

Radio Romania 96
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company