Marcel and Nicu leave PSD and PNL leadership, Georgescu and Lasconi remain in the political spotlight

Marcel Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciucă resigned on the same day they founded the PSD-PNL governing coalition three years ago: November 25. Ciolacu resigned from the PSD presidency because he went to bed as a finalist in the presidential elections and woke up in the morning in third place, after Elena Lasconi took his place with 2,742 more votes than the social democrat. Ciucă resigned from the leadership of the PNL, because he got drunk with cold water and managed, as a soldier serving the country, to obtain the lowest electoral score of the liberals in their participation in the presidential elections over the last 34 years: 8.79%, that is, 811,952 votes obtained at the national level out of the 9,242,198 valid votes cast.

Călin Georgescu and Elena Lasconi will face each other in the second round of the presidential elections to be held on December 8, after last Sunday, in the first round of voting, they ranked in the first two places in the electoral race. According to the partial results registered at 99.5% of the polling stations, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu obtained 22.94% (2,120,404 votes), coming in first place. Elena Lasconi, representing the Save Romania Union (USR), recorded 19.18% (1,772,503 votes), narrowly beating the incumbent Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, who obtained only 19.15% (1,769,761 votes). This situation marks a first in Romania's post-communist history, being the first time that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) does not have a candidate in the second round of the presidential elections.

After the results were announced, Elena Lasconi declared:

"I entered this race with the desire to bring real change to Romania. The fact that I reached the second round is proof that Romanians want a different kind of politics, based on transparency and integrity. I thank all those who trusted me and I invite everyone to continue this path together."

Immediately, representatives of the Reper and Drept parties announced that the respective political formations would join USR, PMP, Forţea Democrate and other right-wing political parties to support Elena Lasconi in the second round of the presidential elections. According to a press release posted on the official Facebook page of co-president Ramona Strugariu, Reper demands the creation of a "cordon sanitaire against Putinist extremism and maximum political responsibility".

The cited document also states: "Extremism and Putinism are no longer just external dangers; they are already present here, at home. We have in the second round of the presidential elections a more radical candidate than AUR. This says something about the failure of politics so far and about the forgotten Romania: the vulnerable, those ignored in their needs, those silent and fed up with lies. The parties responsible for the deep wounds in society should wake up, at the 12th hour. We cannot afford to become the Kremlin's useful idiots. It is time to close ranks and fight together to protect the Presidency and transform the Romanian Parliament into a shield that defends democracy, prosperity and progress of Romania. (...) The result of the presidential elections in Romania has revealed a painful truth: the failure and impotence of the governments so far, the lack of unity of the democratic, reformist forces and the fact that there have been too few such voices in Parliament are costing us the current disaster".

Vlad Gheorghe, the president of the DREPT party, wrote on the official page on the same social network: "Victory! It is right to have a second round without PSD. It is your victory and I bow down. You have shown that it is possible, you have shown them that they are not gods. But I also have a message for those who are putting their heads in the winning picture: do not spoil the result with arrogance. Because it is not your result".

On the other hand, George Simion and Diana Şoşoacă announced that AUR and SOS will support Călin Georgescu in the second round.

"The Romanian people have spoken and it is time to be listened to. PSD and PNL will disappear from the future configuration of Romania. It is time to do what is right. I urge everyone to go to the polls on December 1 and 8 and let the Romanian people continue to decide. We need calm and we need to serve the Romanians. I am happy that sovereignty came first. I am happy that those accusations that we made arrangements with some and others turn out to be false", said George Simion, in a video posted on the official Facebook page.

In contrast, Diana Şoşoacă, after stating immediately after the election that Georgescu is Soros and Mossad's man, declared yesterday on Realitatea Plus that SOS will give its votes to Călin Georgescu in the second round of the presidential elections.

"The SOS party will never vote for PSD, PNL or USR. That is why the SOS party will move forward supporting Călin Georgescu, because at this moment we need a parliament and a prime minister with a majority, without help from other parties," said Diana Şoşoacă according to the quoted source.

• Internal convulsions in PSD and PNL

Last Sunday's unexpected results generated tensions within the main political parties. In PSD, Marcel Ciolacu's failure to advance to the second round triggered discussions regarding the dismissal of the current leadership. Several regional leaders and influential members of the party are calling for an extraordinary congress to analyze the causes of the defeat and to decide on a new leadership.

Marcel Ciolacu stated yesterday that he had resigned from the position of PSD president, that he would not run for this position at the upcoming congress of the social democrats. The PSD leader also said that the party will not contest the first round of the presidential elections, even if the difference between him and Elena Lasconi is small, 2,000 votes, and said that he called the USR presidential candidate to congratulate her on entering the second round.

Victor Ponta, former prime minister and recently returned to the PSD, however, said that at this moment there is no need for any resignation and that the Social Democrats must focus on the parliamentary elections on December 1, because in the current conditions they represent another fight for the defense of democracy.

"Dear PSD people! Dear Marcel-my comrade! We have experienced many victories and many defeats together. Now is not the time for lamentations, reproaches or internal battles; it is not the time for resignations or abandonment. Sunday is the next battle and I firmly believe that we can still win it. It is an essential day for left-wing voters, for our mayors and local elected officials, for activists and all those who represent PSD. Governing the country in these serious moments is fundamental and no one knows better than PSD how to govern in times of crisis. Let's close ranks and show the people that we are not abandoning them now! ", Ponta wrote on his official Facebook page.

The situation is similar in the ranks of the National Liberal Party (PNL), where candidate Nicolae Ciucă obtained a score below expectations. Important leaders in the party have called for the resignation of the current leadership and the reorganization of the party before the parliamentary elections scheduled for December 1.

Adrian Cozma, PNL Satu Mare leader, stated: "The results obtained are disappointing and show that the current leadership's strategy was not effective. It is time for a change and for a new approach that will bring us back on the right track. Iohannis' first term was one that helped us; the second one buried us".

Dan Vîlceanu, former finance minister in the Cîţu government and former secretary general of the PNL, stated: "The party needs a profound reform. The current leadership must assume responsibility for the failure and take a step back to allow the emergence of a new team capable of regaining the trust of the electorate".

It is certain that Nicolae Ciucă has also submitted his resignation from the position of president of the PNL. In a video message, posted on the official Facebook page, Nicolae Ciucă stated: "Dear Romanians, thank you for the trust you have placed in us! I am resigning from the position of president of the PNL. Dear Romanians, I understand what you wanted to convey to us! Despite the mistakes we made, we have learned the lesson that the electorate has conveyed to us and we will respect the decision of the Romanians. The traditional parties, even so, with many programming errors, are the ones that must keep Romania united".

In the following period, the interim leaders of the two parties will ensure the activities for the elections of December 1 and December 8, and extraordinary congresses will subsequently be organized in which party members will elect the new leadership teams.