UPDATE Romanian Senate Speaker Melescanu resigns

The Speaker of Romanian Senate Teodor Melescanu resigned on Monday, two weeks after the Constitutional Court decided his naming in the position was against the rules. The news comes as the Social Democrats – who held government until last fall and who had supported Melescanu – also lost their majority in the Senate.

UPDATE: PSD regained its majority shortly as an MP announced his joining the party.

Melescanu said he decided the resign despite the Constitutional Court ruling had yet to be published.

A group of non-PSD parties challenged Melescanu’s naming as Senate speaker at the Constitutional Court as early as September 2019, but the ruling was postponed until earlier this year when the Court finally admitted the challenge.

PSD interim leader Marcel Ciolacu announced his party would support Titus Corlatean for the seat, while the Liberals (PNL) support Senator Alina Gorghiu.

But as a PSD Senator announced his resignation from the party in order to join the Liberals on Monday, the PSD lost their majority in the upper house of Romania’s Parliament.