(ANSA) - BUCHAREST, MAY 27 - For the ruling Social Democratic Party in Romania, which has not even had time to figure out the heavy defeat in the EU election, another dagger plunged in the heart: the powerful party leader, Liviu Dragnea, considered the most influential national political leader, was jailed after being sentenced to three years and six months in prison for corruption. Dragnea, who was also speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, was accused of abuse of office, forgery and bribery for having imposed on the Institute of Child Protection of the province of Teleorman the hiring of two women belonging to the PSD party and who never even paid a day's service in that institute, receiving regular salary and continuing to work quietly for the party. The facts date back to 2008 when Dragnea, taking advantage of his position as president of the Teleorman provincial council, had - according to the prosecutor - imposed this decision on the directors of the Institute. The former leader of the Social Democratic Party had appealed against the first sentence in 2018, but with no result. The judges, in fact, confirmed all the charges and the 3,5-year sentence with immediate execution. Dragnea arrived in Jilava prison in the early afternoon, appearing before an an angry crowd, the same one that during his 'reign' in the PSD had tried to shout all his outrage at the social democratic government's corruption, organizing numerous demonstrations, the highest number since the revolution that overthrew the communist regime 30 years ago. The race for succession has already begun and among the eligible candidates for the party's leadership is the current premier Viorica Dancila. She spoke of a ''difficult moment'' for the ruling party, which is also severely criticized by president Klaus Iohannis. No one knows what is now going to happen to the current government since the PSD-Alde coalition faced a debacle in the European vote and the center-right wing won hands down, paving the way for early elections. (ANSA).