Sorin Grindeanu elected president of Romania's Social Democratic Party

BUCHAREST, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Sorin Grindeanu was elected president of Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) on Friday during the party's extraordinary congress in Bucharest.

Grindeanu, the sole candidate, received 2,787 votes in favor, with eight abstentions, formalizing his position after serving as interim leader following Marcel Ciolacu's resignation in May.

In his address, Grindeanu called for "a stronger, more confident PSD," saying he wanted the party to "set the tone" rather than merely respond to attacks.

The congress also approved amendments to the party's statute, expanding the top leadership structure to include five first vice presidents and 20 vice presidents.

In a notable ideological shift, PSD members voted to remove the phrase "progressive party" from the statute, pledging instead to promote "national, religious, and traditional values," signaling a more conservative stance compared with other European social democratic parties.

Grindeanu, 51, a former prime minister and current president of the Chamber of Deputies, has also served as transport minister in the Nicolae Ciuca government. Enditem