PSD

The executive board of the ruling Social Democratic Party, PSD, decided on Monday that Victor Ponta would be the party’s candidate for the presidential elections, and an official announcement is to be made by the end of this month. 

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Monday he would like Sorin Oprescu (Bucharest mayor - editor's note) to candidate for President on behalf of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), but this is a decision that has to be taken at party level.

The National Liberal Party, PNL, Romania’s biggest opposition party, elected Klaus Iohannis as its new president on Saturday.

Iohannis, 55, an ethnic German and popular mayor of Transylvanian city of Sibiu, has replaced former parliament speaker Crin Antonescu, and has promised to revive the party’s popularity.

Leaders of the opposition Democratic Liberal Party, PDL, on Monday agreed to a merger with the National Liberal Party, PNL, in order to create a rightist alliance capable of taking on Victor Ponta's ruling centre-left coalition.

European elections on 25 May will be marked by a high degree of absenteeism in Romania, as only 28 per cent of people say they intend to vote on Sunday, a poll released on Wednesday said.

Romania's centre-left coalition looked close to splitting up after Klaus Johanis, a leader of National Liberal Party, PNL, on Monday said he was “not very optimistic that the coalition will survive tomorrow.

“We failed to find a solution to the proposed cabinet changes. As a result, our party will decide on Tuesday if our ministers will leave the government or not,” he added.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Wednesday took over the role of interim Finance Minister while another member of his ruling Social Democrat Party, PSD, will temporarily head the economy portofolio.

The moves are the latest in a weeks-long feud among Romania’s ruling coalition members, which escalated after the parties failed to agree on cabinet changes.