No surprises at today's PSD Congress: Grindeanu is running alone. How to change party status
Sorin Grindeanu, the interim leader of the PSD, will run alone for the leadership of the party in today's Congress. On this occasion, the social democrats will also vote for the new leadership team, as well as the amendment of the statute.
Mediafax photo / Alexandru Dobre
The Social Democratic Party is organizing a Congress today to elect the new leadership. Sorin Grindeanu, interim president, is to be officially confirmed at the head of the party, with full powers. The event marks important changes in PSD's internal structure, including the election of a new leadership team and changes to the statute. Among the novelties is the official abandonment of the “progressive” label.
Unique candidate
Titus Corlățean's withdrawal from PSD's internal competition opens the way to an unopposed Congress with only one candidate.
The announcement of the withdrawal of Titus Corlățean from the internal race for the leadership of the Social Democratic Party came only two months after the senator had publicly launched his candidacy, with the promise of a “deep reformation” of the party.
Corlățean, former Foreign Minister and PSD member for over 24 years, cited the lack of a real democratic political life within the formation and the dominance of personal and economic interests over political ideas and values. His message, conveyed in a video post and a text published on Facebook, talks about “death of a project”but also about “fear and transactionalism” which would have become internal rules in PSD.
A new management team
The new PSD team, proposed by Sorin Grindeanu's motion, brings together well-known members with power in the party, but from different areas: MEP Victor Negrescu, vice-president of the European Parliament, is running for the position of first vice-president of PSD. At the same time, MEP Claudiu Manda, vice-president for the South-West region, is running for the post of general secretary of the party, replacing Paul Stănescu, and deputy Gabriel Zetea, currently vice-president for administration and infrastructure, is running for the post of regional vice-president for the North-West zone.
The new management team will include five first vice-presidents, eight regional vice-presidents and 12 vice-presidents in various fields of activity, in addition to the general secretary and the president of the National Council and the position of president. Thus the number of management members increases from 21 to 27.
Change of status
Also within the Congress, the statute will also be changed, after the party's leadership decided that the label of “progressivism” is not a suitable one.
The new form indicates that “The Social Democratic Party is a modern center-left party, promoter of social equity and solidarity, attached to the democratic, national, religious, traditional and cultural values of the Romanian people, with a pro-European orientation and a firm commitment to Euro-Atlantic cooperation. He is a member of the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist International, continuing the tradition of Romanian social democracy”.
The current form of the statute states that “The Social Democratic Party is a modern and progressive left-wing party, a national party with a European vocation, a member of the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist International, the successor of the Romanian social-democratic tradition”.
Program
According to the program of the Extraordinary Congress of the Social Democratic Party, 15 PSD members will speak:
– 13:00 Silvia Mihalcea
– 13:17 Mihai Ghigiu
– 13:24 Victor Negrescu
– 13:34 Ionuț Pucheanu
– 13:41 Diana Tuşa
– 13:47 Corneliu Stefan
– 13:53 Claudiu Manda
– 14:06 Sorin Grindeanu
– 14:35 Daniel Baluta
– 14:44 Bogdan Ivan
– 14:51 Gabriel Zetea
– 14:57 Olguța Vasilescu
– 15:04 Marius Oprescu
– 15:10 Alfred Simonis
– 15:32 Sorin Grindeanu
Former leaders of the PSD, invited Sorin Grindeanu to the congress
Sorin Grindeanu announced the list of former party leaders who will be present at the PSD Congress, organized on Friday, November 7. Among those invited are Adrian Năstase, Mircea Geoană and Victor Ponta. Năstase and Ponta confirmed the presence.
Grindeanu confessed that he also spoke with former prime minister Viorica Dăncilă, but she could not make it. Regarding Liviu Dragnea, he stated that he would have “certain restrictions”, but the former head of the PSD contradicted him: “This character motivated my non-invitation to this Congress by the fact that I would be prohibited from participating in such a thing. That is a lie.” Liviu Dragnea transmitted.
We remind you that Liviu Dragnea was president of the formation during the period when Sorin Grindeanu was prime minister. He decided to replace him at the top of the Government, and the PSD then submitted a motion against its own Executive.
