Marcel Ciolacu has resigned as the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in Romania, after a humiliating defeat for the party at the recent presidential elections.
Crin Antonescu, the joint candidate of the governing parties—the social democrats and the centre-right PNL—finished only third and was eliminated after the first round of voting two weeks ago.
Two anti-establishment candidates, liberal, pro-EU Nicușor Dan and right-wing nationalist George Simion, went through to the second round, with the former gaining the final victory.
The result amounts to a damning verdict of the government by the voters, signalling their dissatisfaction with decades of two-party rule.
Immediately following the elections, Marcel Ciolacu announced his resignation as prime minister, and on Tuesday, May 20th, said he would be quitting as party leader, too.
Ciolacu said he is proud of his party for taking Romania into the European Union and NATO, and added that the PSD “will continue to be the strongest Romanian political brand.”
However, opinion polls indicate that the right-wing nationalist AUR party is currently far more popular than the PSD, with the latter only enjoying the support of 19% of the electorate.
