Prison sentence for ex-PM endangers party

Romania's former prime minister Adrian Năstase (2000 - 2004) was sentenced by the supreme court in Bucharest to two years in prison for illegal party financing on Monday. According to the verdict he embezzled around 1.6 million euros from companies and entrepreneurs, which he put toward his 2004 presidential campaign. The daily România Liberă suspects that his party, the social-democratic PSD, could collapse as a result: "The sentencing of a politician of Adrian Năstase's calibre will open a Pandora's box in his own party which will cause extreme difficulties for party leader Victor Ponta. ... On the one hand the prison sentence will tarnish the party's image, on the other hand the party could split up into opposing camps - the supporters of Năstase and those who distance themselves from him (whether out of principle or fear). Party leader Victor Ponta has already explained to Năstase that the party will not try to protect him in the event of a conviction, especially since other cases against him are still pending. ... Consequently it will be difficult to calm the PSD, where the interest groups and relations are more intertwined than in any other Romanian party."

» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Crime, » Justice, » Romania
All available articles from » Laurentiu Mihu

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, January 31, 2012