Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu has responded to criticism over a two-decades-old drunk-driving offense in the United States by posting four of his favorite rock tunes and pictures of him in the U.S.
The post appeared to be an indirect but defiant message from the U.S.-educated prime minister to critics seeking to remove him from a leadership challenge over the revelations.
Songs
He Facebook Story post on Friday had images of him in New York in 2016 and excerpts from several songs.
It was perhaps an unusual way for the 49-year-old prime minister to respond. He is better known as a former banker and ex-finance minister.
„Can’t stop me now” was the title song on his post. The lyrics go:
„I’ve climbed so many mountains, each one’s another test
It’s hard to breathe when it’s just you against your Everest
They say what doesn’t kill you, will only make you stronger
Guess I can shake the world and take the pain a little longer”
Leadership
Mr Citu is in a bitter contest for the leadership of the National Liberal Party next month with the current chairman, Ludovic Orban, a former prime minister.
The prime minister called the timing of the revelations that he’d spent two days in jail for drunk-driving „interesting”.
„I made a mistake 20 years ago…. It concerned driving under the influence of alcohol,” Mr Citu told reporters on August 11 after reports of the incident surfaced in the media.
Under the influence
He was given two days in jail and a $1,000 fine for driving under the influence of alcohol in Iowa in March 2001.
He admitted to paying what he called „a very high fine” that forced him to sell his car to cover it.
He was studying business at a university in the state at the time.
Incident
The head of the leftist Social Democratic Party called for President Klaus Iohannis to dismiss the premier arguing that he should have revealed the incident when he accepted the post of prime minister.
Mr Citu appeared defiant in Friday’s post with his choice of songs. Another hit, Back in black by AC/ DC says:
„I’d rather die than give you control
Head like a hole
Black as your soul
I’d rather die than give you control.”
It was released five months after lead singer Bon Scott died. The song is a tribute to Scott, and the lyrics imply that he will live on forever through his music.
Black as your soul
The third song ‘Head like a hole’ by Nine Inch Nails goes:
„Head like a hole
Black as your soul
I’d rather die than give you control.”
Mr Orban, who is currently party chairman said that he hadn’t been informed about the incident prior to the revelations.
He said the prime minister should have made this information public himself, considering that „such an episode you can’t hide, you can’t keep it, sooner or later it will be” made public.
Romanian prime minister says he spent two days in U.S. jail in 2000 for driving under the influence
