Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who was recently indicted by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) on several counts, said he thought about resigning but that he realized that by doing this he would betray those who voted him and his party to lead Romania.

Ponta announced over the weekend that he would give up his leadership position in the Social Democratic Party (PSD) until he will be cleared of all charges, so as not to affect the party’s image. However, he will remain Prime Minister.

He explained his rationale during a TV show: “In the party, I found a formula in which those who are now in charge, Rovana Plumb (e.n. – the Labor Minister) and my other colleagues, can very well lead the party forward, especially as this fall we start to prepare for the local elections and then the parliamentary elections. In the Government, things are a little different. I’m not irreplaceable, but I have several projects that I’ve started and I need to finish.”

He added that if he resigned now as Prime Minister he would leave the power to those that “had destroyed it before”, which would be treason to those who voted for him.

editor@romania-insider.com