With Prime Minister Victor Ponta currently favorite to win the November presidential elections in Romania, the question arises on who will replace him as Prime Minister and who is going to be the next leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

Deputy Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea is currently one of the most powerful men in the Government and in the PSD and he would like to get both the Prime Minister seat and to become the leader of the party, but Ponta might have other plans, according to sources from inside the PSD, quoted by Hotnews.ro.

Dragnea, who helped Ponta take power in PSD back in 2010, is currently running the Ministry for Administration and Regional Development, and has a key role in the Government’s relation with the leaders of the local administrative structures, the so called “local barons”.

The most likely scenario is that Ponta will name George Maior, the head of the Romanian Information Service (SRI), to take over as Prime Minister.

Maior, who is not a member of the PSD, is favored by Romania’s external allies, especially the U.S. He took over as director of the SRI, Romania’s largest intelligence service, in 2006. Previously he had been state secretary in the Defence Ministry and senator in Romania’s Parliament. His father, iviu Maior, was Education Minister from 1992 to 1996 and then was appointed Romania’s ambassador to Canada.

George Maior was wedding godfather for Victor Ponta and Daciana Sirbu.

His nomination as Prime Minister would also help Ponta not give too much power to someone inside his own party, such as Dragnea, who could later try to overthrow him.

As for party leader, Ponta could name Valeriu Zgonea, the president of the Deputies Chamber.

Who’s in the race for Romania’s presidential seat?

editor@romania-insider.com