Prison sentence for the Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea

The High Court of Cassation and Justice has issued a prison sentence for the Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea for instigation to abuse of office.

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Ştefan Stoica, 22.06.2018, 13:36

News of the prison sentence passed for the Social-Democrat strongman Liviu Dragnea has shaken the whole political scene. Dragnea was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment for instigation to abuse of office. The ruling is not final. The High Court of Cassation and Justice, the court of first instance in this matter, gave credit to the accusations of the National Anticorruption Directorate, which claims that Dragnea ordered the fictitious hiring of two party members at the Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate while head of the Teleorman County Council. The two were paid from public money, although they worked exclusively for the Social Democratic Party. If confirmed, this will be the second time Dragnea is handed a prison sentence, after in 2016 he got a 2-year suspended sentence for electoral fraud for his involvement in the 2012 referendum on the impeachment of the then president Traian Basescu.

Despite the sentence, Liviu Dragnea led his party to the most resounding victory in the legislative elections in the last 20 years. Prominent party leaders, including Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, have expressed their support for Dragnea, invoking the presumption of innocence which Dragnea should be given before a final sentence is passed.

Others claim Dragnea is the target of a political vendetta, which they claim to be the work of the so-called “parallel state”, which allegedly includes the National Anticorruption Directorate and other services. The leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Calin Popescu-Tariceanu in turn shared this view.

Conversely, the right-wing opposition wants Dragnea to step down from all public offices. Liberal leader Ludovic Orban has urged the members of the ruling coalition to distance themselves from the Social-Democrat president and vote for their censure motion. In turn, the Save Romania Union says it is unacceptable for Romania to have a “twice-convicted” Chamber of Deputies speaker.

People protesting in Bucharest and other large cities of Romania against the Social-Democratic Party and its leader have welcomed the news of the sentence. People are not just calling on Dragnea to resign, but on the whole Government. They want the Parliament dissolved for snap elections to be held. Liviu Dragnea’s position is uncertain, with the whole party and ruling coalition showing signs of a breakdown. The first test thereof will be next Wednesday, when Parliament will vote on the Liberals’ censure motion. Dragnea’s leading the party with an iron-hand has prompted many Social-Democrats to leave the party. His critics accuse him of trying to radically change and subordinate the justice system, a plan which Thursday’s ruling has apparently foiled.