Romanian liberals seek to replace their leader

“More than 40 county organisation leaders” (there are 41 counties in Romania) have signed a statement requesting the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Florin Citu to step down, G4media.ro announced.

Unless Citu resigns, the regional leaders seek to summon on April 3 the party’s leading body, which in turn is supposed to endorse and schedule an extraordinary congress for early party elections.

This happens only four months after Citu unexpectedly negotiated a new ruling coalition with the Social Democrats following the collapse of the past alliance formed with the reformist USR.

But the regional leaders expressed no discomfort with the new and unexpected coalition. On the contrary, they accuse Florin Citu of “generating tensions within the ruling coalition” and of dragging down the party’s credibility among voters because of his weakened personal credibility.

The liberal leaders will hand Florin Citu their request upon his return from a visit paid to the United States. The regional leaders indicated no preferred successor.

Florin Citu replaced former party leader Ludovic Orban last August in a congress marked by the intervention of president Klaus Iohannis. In fact, president Iohannis used his influence in the party to dismiss Orban and appoint Citu - at that time serving as prime minister.

Later, president Iohannis undermined the negotiations between the two former partners, thus bringing the Social Democrats as full members - now leading member - of the coalition.

(Photo: Octav Ganea/ Inquam Photos)