Public Validation of a declared plagiarist: PM Nicolae Ciucă Backs Interior Minister Lucian Bode Amidst Controversy, as PNL Leader Tours Branches Ahead of Impending Premiership Shake-Up

In the past two days, Nicolae Ciucă, the Prime Minister of Romania and President of the National Liberal Party (PNL), has been seen publicly with Lucian Bode, the party’s Secretary General, who was officially declared a plagiarist by UBB in January. Ciucă and Bode attended public and party events together in Prahova and Mureș on Wednesday and Thursday.

The two had not been seen together since mid-January when the Ethics Commission of Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) declared that Bode had plagiarized in his doctoral thesis.

Bode has been the target of criticism from civil society and within the party in the scandal involving the restraining order against Silviu Mănăstire, his right-hand man in the party. Despite near-total media protection paid for by PNL, these two scandals have caused dissatisfaction within the party.

Sources within the PNL told G4Media.ro that the party leader’s visits to the regions could be an attempt by Nicolae Ciucă to reconnect with the party’s grassroots before the impending government shake-up that will result in him losing his position as Prime Minister.

On Wednesday, Ciucă and Bode went to Valea Doftanei in Prahova, where they attended the signing of the contract for the modernization of the Valea Doftanei-Brădet county road, followed by a party branch meeting.

On Thursday, the two visited Târgu Mureș for a series of public events related to the establishment of the Special Operations Forces, as well as the Institute of the Heart.

It is worth noting that in Târgu-Mureș, the PNL delegation met with leaders of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and Nicolae Ciucă and Marcel Ciolacu held a joint press conference.

Traducere Ovidiu Harfas