Romania looks for third PM in seven months

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Romania's ruling Social Democrats met Tuesday to nominate a new prime minister after power struggles within the party forced out the impoverished EU country's second premier in seven months.

This latest crisis also prompted Japan's visiting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on the final stop of a European tour, to cancel talks on Tuesday with the Romanian government, Romanian officials said.

Prime Minister Mihai Tudose attends a vote of confidence at the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, June 29, 2017. /VCG Photo

Abe, who was expected in Bucharest late morning on the first ever visit to Romania by a Japanese premier, was due however to meet with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose announced his resignation late Monday after senior members of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) voted to withdraw their support at a leadership meeting.

Last June, the party filed a no-confidence motion in then-prime minister Sorin Grindeanu, after he fell out with the powerful head of the PSD, Liviu Dragnea.

Liviu Dragnea, the leader of Social Democrat Party (PSD) at the National Anticorruption Department (DNA) in Bucharest on November 21, 2017. /VCG Photo

Dragnea is barred from public office due to an electoral fraud conviction but is widely seen as pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Dragnea said Monday he had "made two bad choices" for prime minister, adding that he would not make the same "mistake."

Tudose's resignation will have to be signed off by President Iohannis.

The center-right head of state and fierce PSD critic also needs to approve the PSD's new prime ministerial nominee.

Delegates of the opposition hold up posters reading "Shame on PSD" and "Down with PSD" during a session of the Romanian Parliament during a no-confidence vote in Bucharest on June 21, 2017. /VCG Photo

The PSD returned to power in December 2016 after a thumping election victory, promising to boost wages and pensions and to slash taxes, but almost immediately hit problems.

In February 2017, the government backed down on altering anti-corruption laws after the biggest protests since the ouster of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.

Source(s): AFP