Ever since I took to the streets when I was 17 to protest at great personal risk against the communist dictatorship, I have been a passionate democrat.

Eventually a political crisis broke out with the replacement of the heads of each legislative chamber and an attempt to dismiss Băsescu—an effort that ultimately failed when the subsequent impeachment referendum was invalidated by the Constitutional Court due to low turnout. Meanwhile Ponta was the subject of controversy due to allegations of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis. Ponta began his time as head of government with a victory for his alliance in local elections as well as criticism from civil society after several prominent Băsescu-associated figures in government-funded culture and history institutes were removed or resigned from their posts.