Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu urged on Thursday independent Victor Ponta to bow out of the presidential race after the latter revealed that in 2014, as prime minister, he had agreed „to flood Romanian villages in order to save foreign cities.”

„To calmly admit – years on – that you, as Romania’s prime minister, agreed to flood Romanian villages in order to save foreign cities and to boast that, as a reward you received the citizenship of another state, clearly shows that playing sovereignism has gone awry! Whatever excuse you invoke, every citizen of this country expects an official – whether president, prime minister or anything else – to defend their own country and fellow citizens! Under no circumstances would anyone believe you are a sovereignist and that you are going all the way for your people and country! Victor, at least make a wise decision now! Withdraw from the race,” Ciolacu wrote on Facebook.

„Redeem yourself at least in the twelfth hour for the huge mistake you made back then! At least now, truly put Romania first,” said Marcel Ciolacu.

Victor Ponta told a podcast on Wednesday that he received Serbian citizenship for having „overridden in 2014 other Romanian authorities and ordered the opening of the Portile de Fier dam sluice gates to prevent Belgrade from getting flooded.”

On Thursday he wrote on Facebook that the biggest floods in Europe in the last 120 years occurred in 2014, causing victims and huge destruction, and that Romania, as a good neighbor, helped the countries in danger.

AGERPRES