Crisis Over Govt Splits Romania's Ruling Party

Romania's government crisis shows no sign of ending, with the ruling Social Democrat Party leader Liviu Dragnea and Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu and their respective supporters struggling for control.

The PSD was working on an impeachment case against Grindeanu on Friday, a day after the Prime Minister was voted out of the party, after the PSD decided to push for a non-confidence vote against its own six-month-old government.

The crisis follows a row in the PSD after the Prime Minister refused to resign at the request of the party leadership, despite its warning that it had withdrawn support for the government.

Grindeanu on Thursday night said he would only resign when Dragnea resigned. He also gave Dragnea an ultimatum, asking him to make a decision by Monday.  

"No matter how hard Dragnea tries to get rid of me, because I am uncomfortable, I have been and I will always be a PSD member," Grindeanu said.

"Dragnea is trying to take over a whole party because he is afraid of the large mass of party members," he added, saying that he intended to fight back and talk to PSD members over the weekend.

The Prime Minister also trolled Dragnea on his Facebook page on Friday, when he posted a black banner reading #DragneaResign. The post was shared by former PM Victor Ponta, who is also one of Dragnea's political adversaries inside the PSD, and who also supports the current Prime Minister.

"The party is under siege by an unlawful group that has taken over the government building," Dragnea had said on Thursday.

Minister of Interior Carmen Dan, one of the favorites to replace Grindeanu and one of Dragnea's closest aides, on Friday claimed the Prime Minister was alone in the government building, despite the fact that ministers...

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