EC Commissioner Cretu might run for EP on ticket of former Romanian PM Ponta’s party

European Commissioner Corina Cretu on January 11 announced that she considers running for a seat in the European Parliament and that the only Romanian party that expressed its openness to support her was the party set up by former prime minister Victor Ponta - Pro Romania, local Mediafax reported. Ponta, a former president of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), left the party last year after disagreements with current party leader Liviu Dragnea. He formed a new party and poached some PSD MPs in the process. In early January, Cretu was saying that she was still a member of the Social Democratic Party, despite conflicts with some of the leading PSD members, but she also mentioned at that time that Ponta had invited her to run on his party’s ticket. Ponta is the PM who nominated Cretu in 2014 for the EU Commissioner post. Virtually announcing her candidacy on Ponta’s lists, Cretu visibly annoyed PSD leaders, after her ties with the party where she had been vice-president until 2014 deteriorated. Commissioner Cretu should have first had a discussion with PSD, the party’s vice-president Florin Iordache said in an interview for Antena 3 quoted by News.ro. Iordache blamed Cretu for having criticised “her own government” as well. Former PM Ponta: EU Commissioner Creţu would make good candidate for RO presidency editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Facebook / Corina Cretu)