Who is Marcel Ciolacu, tipped to be the next leader of Romania’s Social Democratic Party?

Marcel Ciolacu, 52, is almost sure to be the next leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), one of the biggest political parties in Romania, according to local media reports. Ciolacu, who was voted Chamber of Deputies Speaker after former PSD leader Liviu Dragnea was sent to jail, at the end of May, is also the leader of the PSD Buzau organization.

He has a good relationship with many PSD organization leaders and has informally become the leader of the internal opposition to party head Viorica Dancila. On Monday, November 25, the day after Dancila was crushed in the second round of the presidential elections by incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, Marcel Ciolacu summoned some of the most influential party leaders to his office at the Chamber of Deputies to discuss the next steps.

He also reportedly visited Dancila at home and talked to her about stepping down from the party’s helm. Viorica Dancila apparently accepted to step down and name Ciolacu as her successor until a national congress will take place to elect new party leadership, according to sources quoted by Hotnews.ro.

Ciolacu also reportedly secured the support of 35 PSD local organizations. His team will include former deputy prime minister Paul Stanescu (PSD Olt), MEP Claudiu Manda (PSD Dolj), and former economy minister Niculae Badalau (PSD Giurgiu). Most of the members of the PSD Executive Committee have agreed to resign, except for former finance minister Eugen Teodorovici, the party’s executive president (second-in-command after Dancila).

Marcel Ciolacu may also reportedly bring back to the party former prime minister Mihai Tudose, currently a member of the Europea Parliament elected on PRO Romania’s list but currently in conflict with PRO Romania leader Victor Ponta. Ciolacu is also close to former prime minister Sorin Grindeanu and to the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service – SIE, Gebriel Vlase, according to G4Media.ro.

Marcel Ciolacu was also a close collaborator of former PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, who appointed him deputy prime minister in the Mihai Tudose cabinet, in June 2017. Ciolacu had no portfolio in the Government and was mainly appointed there to supervise Tudose’s actions and report them to the party leader. However, he soon turned his back on Dragnea and started working with Tudose. Ciolacu resigned from the Government immediately after Tudose, in January 2018, after they failed to gain enough support to remove Dragnea from PSD’s helm.