Adrian Nastase, the former Romanian prime minister and ex-president of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD, now in opposition) failed to confirm speculations that he would resign as he stood before the media today to explain his position in a renewed conflict with the new PSD leadership.

Despite rumors that he would use the occasion to abandon the political group, Nastase said in a press conference that the current leaders of the party should prove responsibility and say bluntly that they no longer supported him politically.

Nastase organized the press conference after a small Bucharest branch of the PSD opted to sanction him for being critical to the party line lately. The sanction, applied to a veteran member of the group, was seen as a warning that Nastase is being forced to leave te group.

Nastase said nobody had the right to censor his right for opinions, given his deeds in the service of the party.

A member of the government in the early nineties, prime minister between 2001-2004 and then named speaker of the House of deputies, Adrian Nastase was forced to withdraw from his House position following a scandal related to controversies about his family’s wealth. He was also forced to step down as executive president of the PSD at the time.

Nastase is currently facing corruption charges in a complicated case involving a property in downtown Bucharest.