Romania's former Liberal leader and PM Nicolae Ciucă steps down from MP seat

The former prime minister and president of the National Liberal Party (PNL) until his recent defeat in the presidential elections, Nicolae Ciucă, announced his resignation from the Romanian Senate on February 5.

Selected by president Klaus Iohannis in April 2022 to replace Florin Citu as the leader of the Liberal Party despite his sparse political experience, Ciucă has served as prime minister under the ruling alliance with the Social Democrats (PSD).

In last year's presidential elections, although the PNL-PSD coalition agreed to select a single presidential candidate, Ciucă ran against the Social Democrats' leader Marcel Ciolacu, and eventually, both of them failed to make it to the second ballot.

"The time has come to publicly announce my decision to submit my resignation from the position of Senator in the Romanian Parliament. Out of respect for my liberal colleagues, it is a decision that I previously communicated to the PNL leadership. I would like this gesture to be interpreted as a natural one, considering that I reached this position thanks to the support of the National Liberal Party," said Nicolae Ciucă, in a message published on Facebook.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)