Romanian Senator Gheorghe Ștefănache leaves USR, citing leadership disconnect

Romanian Senator Gheorghe Ștefănache has left the USR party to sit as an independent, citing a disconnect between central leadership and local organizations. He harshly criticized the party's leadership, questioning whether he could maintain his integrity by staying. Ștefănache, representing Galați, said he no longer identifies with the party's decisions. His departure marks a concrete political loss for USR, demonstrating that internal tensions are now producing tangible consequences for the party's parliamentary strength. The move adds to recent political turbulence in Romania, including calls for declassifying Ukraine aid funds and speculation about a potential PSD-AUR coalition government.