Firea still PSD candidate for Bucharest city hall in 2024, she says

Former minister of family Gabriela Firea recently stated in an interview that prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, asked her to remain the Social Democrats' candidate for the Bucharest City Hall despite the scandal regarding the nursing homes.

"Mr. president [Ciolacu] told me that I am the candidate, and that he doesn't see another person from within PSD Bucharest [as candidate]. He told me very clearly that he has information, as the prime minister, that I am innocent, that my fault was that I trusted people. My fault is the fact that my adviser had a connection with that person involved in the nursing homes, not me directly, nor the adviser directly. He knows I am innocent and that it's difficult at this moment, but from his point of view, I remain the PSD candidate for the capital's City Hall," she said, cited by G4Media.

On July 14, Gabriela Firea announced on her Facebook page that she had resigned from the position of minister of family and that she was stepping down from the leadership of the PSD Bucharest organization, at least for the moment. "I have decided, with great regret but determination and my head held high, to leave the Romanian Government," Firea announced. At that time, Gabriela Firea claimed that the scandal was designed to prevent her from entering the race for the City Hall of Bucharest.

"I have no reason to be ashamed, I am not at fault, I would not have accepted for any harm to come to anyone without reacting. I am stepping down so that the prime minister can work on good economic and social projects for Romanians in peace, and likewise, the ministers of PSD and PNL can present their work. In this atmosphere of total war against me as a member of the Government, normal activity cannot continue" she argued.

Earlier in July, several raids at nursing homes near Bucharest uncovered inhumane conditions and seriously abused elderly people. The investigation found that many were beaten, humiliated, and malnourished. The ministry headed by Firea declined any responsibility over the homes. The media, however, uncovered connections between Gabriela Firea and Ștefan Godei, the owner of the "horror care homes."