The executive committee of opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) in Romania on Tuesday evening voted to expel the party's former president and head of Senate Mircea Geoana (in picture). The current PSD head Victor Ponta, who replaced Geoana after internal elections in 2010, said Geoana refused to obey party decisions and acted on his own on various matters.

In return, Mircea Geoana said the party is run by a marionette, who is controlled by Ion Iliescu – former Romanian president and honorary president head of the PSD and Adrian Nastase, former Prime Minister. Geoana said he is now planning a new political party and some PSD members already resigned saying they would join this new, yet unnamed party.

Political commentators have said the real stake of expelling Mircea Geoana from the party was the leadership of the Senate. PSD had asked Geoana to step down and name a replacement from within the party, but he refused to do so. All these happened in the wake of a plan to suspend president Traian Basescu, which, if to succeed, would give the temporary helm of the country to the Senate president, whomever that may be. Apart from all these, Geoana's insubordination to the party's leadership could have undermined its chances at the next elections.

PSD is now trying to have one of its members named Senate president, after withdrawing political support from the current head of Senate. Even so, chances are high one of the Senate vice-presidents from within the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), the ruling party, will be named on the presidential seat of the Upper House of the Romanian Parliament.

PSD, the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Conservative party (PC) are the founders of the Social Liberal Union (USL), the opposition union that aims at working under this formula until 2020, covering two elections periods.

Mircea Geoana became a PSD member in 2001, and was named the party’s president in 2005. In December 2008 he became President of the Senate. In 2009 he run for Presidency but lost to the current President Traian Basescu.

Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com