Romania’s prime minister Viorica Dăncilă, the president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), has categorically confirmed that she would not withdraw her candidacy for the presidential elections, which was endorsed by the party’s National Executive Committee. She said her colleagues want a Social Democrat candidate in the autumn elections.

“No, definitely not, as long as there was a vote in the National Executive Committee and all the colleagues want to have a candidate from PSD, I did not consider this. I did not discuss with [co-president of the ruling coalition] Calin Popescu Tariceanu about the candidates in the meetings we had,” PM Dăncilă said, according to local Mediafax.

PSD leaders met on August 12 to discuss among others the fate of the ruling coalition, in the context of the junior ruling partner ALDE’s negotiations with Pro Romania (a political vehicle pulled out of PSD and headed by former PM Victor Ponta) to form a new political alliance. At the origin of ALDE seeking a new partner is PSD’s decision of going ahead with own presidential candidate instead of supporting ALDE president Tariceanu’s candidacy.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gov.ro)