Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis appointed the Member of the European Parliament Viorica Dancila as the country’s new Prime Minister.
The appointment of the Social Democrat MEP on Wednesday must be confirmed in parliament. Given that Ms Dancila is a personal choice of the Social Democratic Party’s (PSD) leader, Liviu Dragnea, the ratification process is but a formality.
Ms. Dancila, 54, is the third Prime Minister of Romania since 2016. The sudden resignation of Mihai Tudose on Monday, January 15, follows the resignation of Sorin Grindeanu in June 2017. Mr. Dragnea described her as a “respected MEP in Brussels,” underscoring that she “does not seek conflict.
The leader of PSD, Mr. Dragnea, has been convicted of electoral fraud during a 2012 and is unable to hold the office of the prime minister, as it is customary for the leader of the ruling party. The political veteran had a suspended two-year jail sentence for ballot-rigging, which did not prevent him from maintaining command over the PSD. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Most analysts see the successive resignations of prime ministers as effective dismissals from a party leader that is asserting his authority over the executive. Upon submitting his resignation on Monday, Mr. Tudose simply said “They {PSD} named me, they removed me.”
The PSD is the senior partner in a coalition with ALDE (the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe).
