The Social Democratic Congress started on Saturday, at about 11:30 am with the Party's hymn - Ode to Joy. Debates announce tensions, as nine candidates run for the President of the Party position. The main candidates to run: Mircea Geoana, Victor Ponta, Cristian Diaconescu, Miron Mitrea and Radu Mazare.

HotNews.ro will inform you with the main events at the congress.

UPDATE 2: Voting started at 6 PM to elect the party's president after seven hours of speeches and debates. Miron Mitrea and Radu Mazare announced that they withdraw from the race and endorse Victor Ponta. With several minutes before the voting started Cristian Diaconescu announced that he will withdraw and that he will give his votes to Mircea Geoana. In this moment, the fight is between Victor Ponta and Mircea Geoan

Ion Iliescu

  • This congress can mark a relaunch of the party, a necessary thing not only for the party but for the Romanian society
  • the paty needs to defend the majority of the citizens
  • If the Social Democratic Party is weak, the main defender of the majority of citizens is just as weak
  • We need to settle what party we want
  • Through our decisions, we need to affirm that our party is a party of the social democrats, with a clear ideology coupled at the country's realities, a party of the future
  • i think the party needs to be able to heal some maladies that affects its activity
  • These people affect the image and credibility of the party
  • we need to have a good functioning of the leadership structures, respect internal democratic principles of the party
  • some of our leaders need a sense of measure
  • modesty is a rara avis around the party but it needs to be cultivated in a party such as ours

Adrian Nastase:

  • Churchill said that success means to walk from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm - I believe that this is what we have been doing in the last five years
  • History has its logic, events sometimes determine destinies
  • I formulated a protest, when state's rules were not respected, I though
  • I am glad that my protest, supported by Iliescu lead to normality
  • I believe that we need to show our respect for Iliescu
  • the Congress needs to reveal the change
  • I want to accept my support for Victor Ponta, for a new team
  • we need a competent team to form a shadow government
  • I thank Cristian Diaconescu for his speech
  • I want to thank Geoana for the efforts he made in the last years

Miron Mitrea's speech

  • I was proud to be part of the party 16 years ago, when I first joined
  • The Social Democratic Party was lead by leaders that made by proud: Ion Iliescu, Adrian Nastase who knew how to lead a party and who were respected
  • If we cannot manage to overcome this ridicule moment, we risk to lose political ground
  • We have no reason to be ashamed: I had the honor to be part of the best government Romania had since the revolution
  • We need to reform the party in order to offer citizens a better option than the Boc government. The Social Democratic Party needs to become, once again, the first party in the country
  • I believe in the party's unity and I believe we can leave today united

Victor Ponta

  • You all know me very well and I warn you not to be surprised of what I am about to say
  • I will not criticize Geoana because that is not what we have to do here today
  • I will not by ironic but I will tell you what I feel beyond these internal turmoils
  • I want to regain hope, trust and become proud of being Social Democrats
  • I would like you to be proud of me in 2014 when we will give Romania a Social Democratic project
  • I joined this party 10 years ago when it had respect, solidarity
  • I want to be on the steps of a man who was a model in politics, Adrian Nastase, Ion Iliescu
  • I want to be on the same side with Mircea Geoana
  • I want to work with the young people with whom I started a project in 2002
  • There are many young people who, like myself, are waiting for a position in the Party, for the chance to make a difference

Cristian Diaconescu

  • The Social Democrats need to cool off
  • It is unfair for those who invested their patience, money and respect to assist to the party's dismantle
  • We are being laughed at
  • If we do not have the power to resolve the conflicts, if we cannot put forward a stable political agenda, we will lose our people
  • We need to step forward and take a stand: the party is in distress, we need to take action
  • local parties need to take action as the central party organization seems too tired
  • We should be aware of the circus we are part of at the TV