PSD has a new leadership

After an interim period of nine months Marcel Ciolacu got elected president of the Social Democratic Party, the largest political force in opposition in Romania

Leyla Cheamil, 24.08.2020, 14:00

The Social
Democratic Party (PSD), Romania’s largest opposition party, which boasts the
highest number of Parliament seats on Saturday had its leadership elected during
a special congress for the first time staged online in compliance with the
measures aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic.

After
a nine-month interim mandate, Marcel Ciolacu became full-fledged president
after having got 1,310 votes, a landslide victory against his opponent, the
former Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, who only mustered 91. Ciolacu took
over the PSD presidency from Viorica Dancila after the latter had stepped down
amid mounting pressure inside the party following the lackluster results she
obtained in the last autumn’s presidential election, when the country’s then
president Klaus Iohannis secured a second term in office.

The
team led by Ciolacu also includes Bucharest’s incumbent mayor Gabriela Firea, secretary
general Paul Stanescu, president of the National Council Vasile Dancu and 12
other vice-presidents, 4 in charge of various domains and 8 in charge of regions.
According to the new leadership, selection and promotion inside the party and
in public political positions will be done on criteria of professional
expertise and competences. The new PSD president says he wants to be the leader
of a party, which has completely broken with the past and is focused on solving
the problems of the Romanians.

Marcel Ciolacu: Nowadays we must have a complete break with the past. Justice must
be done in courts, neither by parties and presidential administration nor by
television. The justice reform must be done by magistrates, the Higher Council
of Magistracy, by professional associations. I am telling this in all
responsibility: during my mandate, the Social Democratic Party will be strictly
focusing on the agenda of the Romanians.

Romania needs a strong left, it needs security,
reconstruction and a better standard of living and the PSD must leave behind
former habits and modernize itself, Marcel Ciolacu added.

Marcel
Ciolacu: The vote today has been
given to a PSD team. I want us to have a completely different approach inside
the party, but more outside the party, towards the Romanians. To be
responsible, believe in ourselves, support each other as a team and not spread
distrust among team mates.

The PSD objective in the September 27th
election is to remain Romania’s largest political party, Ciolacu went on to
say, adding that unless the party fares well in the upcoming election, he will
be the one to suffer the political consequences.

(translated by bill)