Swiss daily Tribune de Geneve has published an article about PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea and PM Viorica Dancila on Tuesday, on the precise day when Dragnea starts an official visit to Switzerland. The Swiss newspaper writes that Dragnea’s visit takes place while a verdict in one of his criminal files was expected in Bucharest. However, the court decided on Tuesday to postpone a decision until June 8.
The daily also notes that the PSD chairman has also skipped a previous court hearing in this case as it has turned out he had been on a surprise visit to Israel, upon the invitation of the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Now, Dragnea, who is also Chamber of Deputies speaker, is expected to talk about Schengen area with his Swiss counterpart, Dominique de Buman, and with the confederation’s president, Alain Berset.
Tribune de Geneve describes Dragnea as „a mighty and controversial politician”, while reminding that he had been eyed by an investigation conducted by the OLAF and that he had been sentenced on two years on probation in 2016 in the Referendum file, a sentence that prevents him from being prime minister, after the victory of his party, PSD, in the general elections on December 2016.
„President Klaus Iohannis has voiced his will back then to not appoint a premier who has been criminally convicted. But it is the only asset he has in his sleeve,” the newspaper writes, adding though that the PSD chairman is actually the one who has been „leading the dance” in Romania in the past one year and a half.
The Swiss daily also talks about Liviu Dragnea’s „fighting spirit” that allowed him to resist to judiciary pressures and to those who want to see him toppled down.
The newspapers also informed that Dragnea had changed the premier of Romania twice, reproaching them they assume „too much freedom” and had named Viorica Dancila, who comes from his small circle of his acquitances and who thus becomes the first Romanian female premier.
„Ever since, she has been shining through complete obedience to her boss, but also through a staggering incompetence for this level,” the newspaper argues.