Mihai Tudose announces his resignation as prime minister

Mihai Tudose announced on Monday evening, at the end of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) National Executive Committee (CExN) meeting, that he resigns as prime minister of Romania. "I am leaving with my head up high," Tudose said, according to Agerpres.

2018-01-16 09:43:46

He pointed out he would not ensure the ad-interim leadership at the Victoria Governmental Palace.
"Yes, this evening or tomorrow morning," said Tudose on Monday evening at the end of the CExN meeting, when asked if he was going to resign.

The Prime Minister announced that the Prime Minister′s schedule on Tuesday will be taken over by Deputy PM Paul Stanescu.
Asked how he lost so fast the party′s support he said: "The party decided another Government is needed, with a different kind of approach. (...) There is always room for better. I didn′t want to break up the party," Tudose said.

The resigning prime minister admitted that he may have a part of the blame. "Maybe I have my share of blame. This is how the party decided. As I said in the beginning, I assume it, the CExN appointed me, the CExN said there is room for better," Tudose said.

Asked what he has to reproach himself, the PM said that the governmental activity was appreciated by the party colleagues. "I reproach myself that I haven′t made more kilometres of motorways, didn′t make more hospitals operations, but, you see, today we had a fortunate event, an almost 500 million investments, (...) as I promised. I am leaving with my head up high, I didn′t end the year badly, the colleagues have appreciated the governmental activity," Tudose said.

He added that now the relation with PSD Chairman Liviu Dragnea is a good one.
"Now it is good," he said, adding that until the moment of the decision in the CExN meeting the relation with the PSD head was a "tensed" one.

About what he would do next in the PSD, Tudose said he has the office of party vice chairman. "I am the vice chairman and I understand that the position isn′t threatened, if you have other information...".
The resigning prime minister also pointed out he would go to the Victoria Palace tonight to take his belongings.