Romania’s Prime minister Nicolae Ciuca will stay on as party president until the presidential elections in 2024, after he resigns from his post at the Government this spring, Liberal (PNL) deputy-president Alina Gorghiu has stated, quoted by News.ro.
Ciuca replaced former PNL leader Florin Citu in 2022, after Citu refused President Iohannis’ push for an alliance of the Liberals with the Social Democrats. Ciuca was previously not extensively involved in politics,
Therefore, the political role played by PM Ciuca as the leader of the Liberal Party has been constantly questioned, particularly given his sparse prior involvement in politics, reports Romania Insider.
PNL deputy-president Gorghiu now states that Ciuca will lead the party until the presidential (local and general) elections in 2024 – but no more.
„In the last two years, we have been looking for leaders, and I think we have found a leader who will remain in the chair until after the presidential elections. We’ll see what happens later, but I hope that party president Ciuca will no longer stay with the party and run for the Presidency of Romania and win it”, said Alina Gorghiu.
PM Ciuca remaining at the top of the Liberal Party, whatever the reasons for this might be, is conducive to a stronger position in the Social Democratic Party PSD in the next Parliament and local administration. Furthermore, the Liberals are more likely to lose the presidential elections as well — although the Social Democrats’ support will probably diminish while they are in charge over the two years to come.
