PSD leaders to convene to discuss designating Romania's new candidate for European Commissioner

The National Executive Committee (CExN) of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) is convening today to discuss designating Romania's new candidate for European Commissioner. The CExN convention is expected to start at 16:00hrs, at the PSD headquarters on Kiseleff Road. According PSD sources, the main topic of discussion will be designating Romania's new candidate for European Commissioner after the rejection of previous pick, Rovana Plumb, by the European Parliament's Committee on Judicial Affairs. Another topic will be how PSD MPs will act when a no-confidence vote is cast in a plenary session. There are several names on the list of the picks, but the favorite seems to be incumbent Secretary General of PSD Mihai Fifor, according to the same sources. Other names are: Claudia Tapardel, Victor Negrescu, Ramona Manescu, Luminita Odobescu. On Monday, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced that she would put forth a new proposal for European Commissioner. "We will make a new proposal for European Commissioner and regarding the invitation to talks extended by the President, I will answer 'immediately,' the same 'immediately' he used when he decided to appoint the interim ministers, according to the ruling of the Constitutional Court which established that the President violated the Constitution," Dancila said at the PSD headquarters. The European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) on Monday rejected Rovana Plumb as European Commissioner-designate for Transport. AGERPRES (RO - author: Dana Piciu, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Rodica State)