Romania's ruling coalition parties – the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) – have reportedly agreed to back Valeriu Zgonea for president of the local telecom regulator ANCOM.

Zgonea is a former leader of PSD and a former president of the Chamber of Deputies. He resigned from all public positions in 2021 after the Bucharest Court sentenced him to three years of jail time for influence peddling. The Bucharest Court of Appeal cleared him of all charges in February 2022, and the decision is final.

The Senate and Chamber of Deputies gather to vote for the new ANCOM president on Tuesday, May 9, News.ro reported.

Valeriu Zgonea is the clear favorite since PSD and PNL hold the majority in Parliament. The other candidate for this position is Mihai Eftimie, an entrepreneur in the telecom sector who is backed by the Save Romania Union (USR).

ANCOM oversees one of the biggest markets in Romania with revenues of about EUR 3.5 billion per year.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)