Bucharest Mayor Resigns As Ruling Party Deputy Chairman, Loses All Offices In The Party

Bucharest Mayor Gabriela Firea announced on Monday that she resigned as party deputy chairman and was dismissed from PSD Ilfov leadership, following a meeting of Romania’s ruling Social Democrat Party’s (PSD) executive committee, effectively losing all of her offices within the party.

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Firea previously also resigned as interim chairman of PSD Bucharest, before the meeting, with Bucharest Sector 6 Mayor Gabriel Mutu to take her place.

“As for the Ilfov organization, I was told in the meeting that I am guilty of not stopping Ilfov MPs from resigning. I could not stop this initiative, they wanted to react to the fact that they were summoned to Kiseleff (the party’s headquarters, ed.) and were advised to request my resignation, to make statements against me. They had integrity and the dissolution of PSD Ilfov was voted,” announced Firea.

The Bucharest Mayor deemed the action as a “revenge” from party leader Liviu Dragnea, adding that she will not resign from the party.

“It is also a revenge. It’s clear that Mr. Dragnea wanted me gone from the party executive bureau. I had no option through which to keep this office (…) There is no chance for me to resign (from the party, ed.)”.

Rumors surfaced on Sunday evening stated that the party could withdraw political support for Firea, following months of public criticism at the expense of party leader Dragnea, who she accused numerous times of leading the party in an authoritarian manner.

Gabriela Firea was also one of the initiators of an action to oust the party leader in September, which ultimately failed to gain the necessary support. The other two initiators were or could also be sanctioned, with former Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu excluded from the party earlier this month, and Regional Development Minister Paul Stanescu heavily rumored to be replaced from his office during Monday’s meeting.

The Social Democrat Party commenced a national executive committee meeting on Monday to discuss a speculated government reshuffle. Defense Minister Mihai Fifor announced his resignation minutes before the meeting was due to begin.

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