Prague, 7 April 1997 (RFE/RL) - Leaders of Romania's Socialist Labor Party have rejected the resignation of party First Vice President Adrian Paunescu. Paunescu is perhaps best remembered as the "court poet" of executed State and Communist Party leader Nicolae Ceausescu.
Paunescu had offered his resignation in February, after he was widely blamed for his party's failure to make it into Parliament in the Autumn elections. But, at a weekend party conference, Paunescu said the party could not afford to lose "a man like me."
Party leaders also discussed a proposed alliance with the extreme nationalist Greater Romania Party. Greater Romania Party Chairman Corneliu Vadim Tudor also announced over the weekend plans for forming what he called a "Nationalist International," and said French National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen will visit Romania "probably next month" at the invitation of Tudor's party.