New Conviction for Romania's Top Politician to Worsen Tensions
- Ruling party rallies behind Dragnea; opposition demand he quit
- Corruption has become the Black Sea nation’s key battleground
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A second criminal conviction for Romania’s de-facto leader is set to fan political tensions over corruption in the Black Sea nation.
Social Democrat boss Liviu Dragnea was handed a 3 1/2-year jail sentence for abuse of office on Thursday, though he won’t be sent to prison until the appeals process has been exhausted. In a sign of the impending battle, the opposition urged him to quit as parliament speaker, while ruling-party officials rallied behind him at a meeting Friday in Bucharest.