Two party members employed, Romanian leader imprisoned

Social Democratic Party leader Liviu Dragnea has been sent to the Rahova prison on the outskirts of Bucharest, a scenario he had tried to avoid at any cost.

“Go to prison,” called crowds of people gathered in front of his house, while the most powerful politician in the country was taken from the apartment to start punishing three and a half years behind bars.

Dragnea was found guilty last year of using his influence to ensure false work at a state agency of two women who were then working for PSD. Romania's Supreme Court decided to retain the first sentence the 56-year-old had appealed.

The decision came at the time when the PSD suffered significant losses during the EU Parliament elections. Dragnea was also a key figure after the long-debated reform of the judiciary in the country led to violent protests and overshadowed Romania's first EU presidency.

Despite the triumph of Social Democrats in 2016, his deep ambition to settle at the top of the executive failed to materialise and therefore became an earlier suspended sentence for electoral fraud.

Despite this, Dragnea succeeded in having a tremendous impact on government even behind the scenes, thanks to the appointment of his obedient follower Viorica Dancila, in the post of prime minister January 2018.