Romanian president Klaus Iohannis argued that social democratic leader Liviu Dragnea should resign from his post as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies because of his legal problems.

Dragnea, who is currently investigated by the Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) for abuse of office and EU funds fraud, among others, is the leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD). This is the third case involving him. At the end of 2016 he could not become prime minister because of a two-year suspended prison sentence for tampering with the 2009 referendum and a law banning people with criminal convictions to join the Government.

Iohannis argued it is wrong for people that have legal problems to make it to the leadership of the country.

“It is wrong for people with legal problems to make it to the leadership of a country, because this is the result. They make it there and want to defend their own back, not the backs of Romanians. Then we have this type of circus situations when grownup people come and state stupidities like the ‘parallel state,’ play victims and so on, when their true purpose is just to protect themselves,” the president said, quoted by News.ro.

The “parallel state” is a phrasing used by the PSD to allege the existence of a structure trying to “take control” over political power. Last week, the PSD adopted a resolution for the continued support for the PSD-ALGE governing coalition and invoking the existence of the “parallel and illegitimate state.” It also criticized president Klaus Iohannis’ “lack of reaction and complicity” to this parallel state.

The president said he did not particularly follow the media coverage of the moment when Dragnea went to the DNA headquarters this week to be informed of the freeze on his assets but could not avoid it.

“It is clear he should resign. He never should have made it this far […] This type of circus, with playing the victim and so on is not good for democracy,” the president said.

Liviu Dragnea reacted to the president's statement on Thursday saying that it was not the first time when Iohannis asked for his resignation. "He has this pleasure. He sends a part of the system after me then asks for my resignation. They are very well coordinated," Dragnea commented. He added that he would not accept the president's invitation to the December 1 reception at the Cotroceni palace because he didn't think it was sincere.

However, Iohannis is not the only one who has been asking for Dragnea's resignation. Even some people from his own party are more vocal in asking him to step down. Mihai Chirica, the mayor of the eastern Romania city of Iasi and a former vice-president of PSD, also said Dragnea should resign.

Chirica, who lost several PSD leadership titles earlier this year after saying the government should withdraw the controversial ordinance OUG 13,  said the confusion in the party and in Romania, “is one hundred percent Dragnea’s fault,” News.ro reported.

“We are seeing the rebirth of Nero, who sees only one way of leaving his throne, by burning the city down,” Chirica said of Dragnea.

“He shouldn’t withdraw, he should resign. The confusion in which today’s Romania and the PSD find themselves is one hundred percent his fault. He should resign so he isn’t dismissed. It would be the last honorary measure he could take, given that Romania is descending, in an obvious political and administrative chaos. And I don’t think chaos can govern at this point,” Chirica said.

editor@romania-insider.com