Victor Ponta under pressure as opposition pushes for a vote of no confidence against him
Romanian Premier Victor Ponta walks up the stairs of the national anti-corruption prosecutors office in Bucharest in July Photo: AP
Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta did not attend the first hearing in his corruption trial on Monday but said he was prepared to testify, as the opposition piled on the pressure by pushing for a vote of no confidence against him.
The 43-year-old Social Democrat leader, who denies charges of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, is the first Romanian head of government to stand trial while still in office.