Florin Cîţu, a former prime minister has stepped down as chairman of the ruling National Liberal Party after months of pressure and ahead of a party meeting to decide his fate.
Mr Citu, 50 a U.S-educated banker defended his six-month tenure as head of the center-right Liberals, and said he was never entirely comfortable with forming a coalition with traditional rivals, the Social Democrats.
He served as prime minister from 2020 to November 2021 and was elected Liberal Party chairman in September until his resignation on Saturday.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca is likely to succeed him as party boss.
The Liberals and the Social Democrats formed a coalition government with another smaller party in December 2021, after months of political instability.
“I was never comfortable with this compromise which we did with the PSD, it’s no secret,” he said, News.ro reported.
Some of the measures adopted by the coalition government such high salaries and pensions has fueled inflation and interest rates, he said.
“These things help Romanians, but they have to be done rationally,” he said.
„One thing I’d like to add. Our party is in government. Romania is right next to a war and the economic situation is deteriorating.”
He said the turbulence had led to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development had revised economic growth down from 4 to 2.8%.
He declined to say whether he’d step down as Senate speaker, a position he’s held since Nov. 2021.
Former Romanian premier kicked out of Liberal Party after 30 years
