Social Democratic Party (PSD) national leader Liviu Dragnea on Friday nominated Minister of European Funds Rovana Plumb to top the party's list of candidates in the election to the European Parliament.
"In 2015 I was convicted in the court of first instance of the great corruption for having asked 7.4 million Romanians to come to the referendum to oust [former president] Basescu. I resigned, and I later learned that I had been betrayed, to be the victim or, I guess, the scape goat. I got over it, and then I, like you, found that (...) one actually ran away. He is worse than a communist political police officer, an we'll keep on talking. (...) Many colleagues have come to me to run for the interim party's presidency not against but alongside Rovana [Plumb]. I did it and I won. Some of one colleagues, one that is no longer among us, for example, said that he was waiting that day for Rovana to get punished - he run against me and lost. What did I do on the same day? I took your by your hand and got out for a news conference. We are also today alike - she has been sold out repeatedly by people she had helped, people who are no longer among us - they are alive - but they are no longer among us in the party. I do not know where the National Executive Committee will decide to place Rovana Plumb on the list of the MEP candidates. But I will recommend her to top the list. And, after the European election, I would ask Prime Minister Dancila to recommend Mrs Rovana Plumb for another position as well," Dragnea told an election convention of the PSD Dambovita chapter in Targoviste.
He also spoke of another former PSD minister, Senator Titus Corlatean, who "did a very good job" in the Government and would deserve to return to office.