Ruling PSD leaders react to Liviu Dragnea's being sentenced to jail in Supreme Court first ruling

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, also Executive President of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, main at rule, ed. n.) deems that the ones asking for the resignation of the party's leader Liviu Dragnea, ahead of a final decision 'are heavily violating the Constitution of Romania, the European Directives and the Venice Commission's standards, all of which do guarantee the presumption of innocence.'

She expresses support for Dragnea at the helm of the political formation and at the wheel of the Chamber of Deputies, as well.
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Internal Affairs Minister Carmen Dan says that Thursday's sentencing in the "DGASPC Teleorman" criminal file by which Liviu Dragnea has been sentenced to jail is 'politicized', adding that she is certain that the PSD Chairman will prove his innocence.
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National Defence Minister Mihai Fifor asserted on his Facebook page that the Government, the ministers and the Social Democratic Party, that has enjoyed an overwhelming democratic, free vote majority in the last election, support Chairman Liviu Dragnea at the wheel of the party and of the Chamber of Deputies, following the Supreme Court's ruling.
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Youth and Sport Minister Ioana Bran, also a PSD Deputy of Satu Mare wrote on Thursday on her Facebook page that PSD leader Liviu Dragnea has no reason to resign, since the sentencing is not final.
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Health Minister Sorina Pintea on Thursday night said on her Facebook page that PSD will overcome any hindrance and the instability determined by political causes could harm the country, adding that the decision of the Supreme Court's justices regarding PSD leader Liviu Dragnea 'shows that the magistrates weighed in the balance people and not facts.'
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National Education Minister Valentin Popa says that the decision of the Supreme Court on Thursday in the DGASPC Teleorman criminal file 'has got a degree of uncertainty' and hopes that the future decisions will confirm Liviu Dragnea's innocence.
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Public Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici asserts that he has never believed in television justice or in popular justice, expressing his confidence that Justice means, in the case of the PSD leader, too, the presumption of innocence until a final decision.
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The Supreme Court's decision on Thursday will not influence whatsoever the governing or the enforcement of the gov't programme, and the PSD-ALDE (Social Democratic Party - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, ed. n.) coalition will continue the reforms they began for the Romanians' welfare, says the Minister for the Business Milieu, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Stefan Oprea.
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PSD Secretary General Marian Neacsu says the decision of sentencing the PSD President Liviu Dragnea 'has nothing to do with the facts and the works of the file and almost anything with the political struggle.'
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PSD Bucharest head, the city's general mayor Gabriela Firea says that any Romanian must benefit from the presumption of innocence until a final decision is made, mentioning that 'the party is going through difficult moments.'

Gabriela Firea underscores, in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, that PSD "will resist the pressure."
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The leader of the PSD Members of the European Parliament, Dan Nica, says that the Social-Democrats leader Liviu Dragnea must benefit from the presumption of innocence until a final decision is made, and highlights that there are no grounded reasons for the latter not to remain Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.
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The PSD Dolj leader, Senator Claudiu Manda told AGERPRES that following Thursday's decision of the Supreme Court, Liviu Dragnea has no reason to resign neither from the party's helm nor from the position of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, since he is a beneficiary of the presumption of innocence, like any other citizen.
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PSD Vaslui leader Dumitru Buzatu on Thursday night told AGERPRES that a fall of the gov't is not possible or a change of the parliamentary majority because of Liviu Dragnea's sentencing.
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The PSD mayor of Cavnic, of northern Maramures County, Vladimir Petrut publicly urges Liviu Dragnea on his Facebook page to hand his honour resignation from 'the positions he is currently holding' following the Supreme Court's decision.
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The PSD Teleorman chair, Adrian Gadea, on Thursday night said for AGERPRES that Liviu Dragnea is further enjoying the support of the county's party members which will be 'materialise' on Friday (22 June, ed. n.) at the PSD's Executive Committee.
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The PSD Constanta organization confirms 'solidarity more than ever' with the party's chairman Liviu Dragnea, after the non-final sentencing of the latter by the Supreme Court, saying that 'it is an unfair, aberrant judicial sentencing, ungrounded on proofs and facts', a wrong decision, influenced by illegal protocols and street pressure.'
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The PSD Sibiu organization considers that the president of the party Liviu Dragnea has become for the second time 'the target of the parallel state' and expressed solidarity with the latter.
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The PSD leaders of the North-West region find that the party's national leader Liviu Dragnea has no reason whatsoever to resign 'ahead of a final sentence', following the Supreme Court's decision to sentence the latter to 3 years, 6 months to jail.
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PSD Alba 'further' backs Liviu Dragnea at the helm of the party, opining that the decision with the latter's sentencing to jail would have been taken 'under multiple pressure', 'through the media, through the secret services and through the street' respectively.
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PSD Dambovita announces in a press release that they stand by Liviu Dragnea's side and speak firmly for the observance of the presumption of innocence.
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The PSD Mures chair Vasile Gliga on Thursday night said for AGERPRES that he is certain Liviu Dragnea will enjoy the support of all of the chairs of the PSD county organisations since he deems that the new conviction of the PSD leader is a political one.
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Support messages for the PSD leader Dragnea, also Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies were relayed on Thursday night by the county organisations of Vrancea, Suceava and Hunedoara counties.
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The Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced national leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), major at rule, Liviu Dragnea to three years and six months in jail for fictitiously hiring two persons to work with the DGASPC Teleorman child protection and social assistance directorate who were actually working for the local PSD organisation. The ruling is not final.AGERPRES(RO - author: Cristina Tatu, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Maria Voican, editor: Simona Iacob)