Nicușor Dan: I don't see why I wouldn't nominate Grindeanu as prime minister. Can't stability without PSD? What does he answer when asked about Ordinance 13, given by Grindeanu
The president says, in an interview for the Cotidianul newspaper, that he is ready to nominate the leader of the PSD, Sorin Grindeanu, as prime minister in the 2027 government election. Asked if he remembers Ordinance 13, adopted in 2017 by the Government led by Grindeanu and which brought hundreds of thousands of people to Piața Victoriei, Nicușor Dan stated that Romania is now in a “political configuration” in which “stability is not possible without PSD”.
In the interview for Cotidianul, Nicușor Dan said that he does not think that “at this moment” the governing coalition PSD-PNL-USR-UDMR can break, “at least on an interval that we have been seeing for several months, from now on”.
“There are many of the current tensions that could have been avoided by all parties. Many people behave as if we were in the parliamentary equation of the last mandate, in which the pro-Western parties shared 90% of the mandates and not 65% as they share now,” said Nicușor Dan.
Asked about “an attempt by Grindeanu to cut off Bolojan's power”: “It's a battle of public communication”
Regarding the conflict in the coalition on the law on magistrates' pensions, amplified by the fact that the PSD leader, Sorin Grindeanu, had a separate meeting with the heads of judicial institutions, the president said that he does not think “that there is anything wrong with this”: “I don't think there is anything wrong with this. I believe that on any kind of bill, any political party that has representation in Parliament can see rightly with any of the actors relevant to the field”.
When asked if he does not consider that it is an attempt by Sorin Grindeanu to seize or cut off the powers of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, Nicușor Dan replied: “Obviously. I mean, let's not pretend that we don't see that it is a public communication battle on many of the topics. And, of course, I would prefer that these issues be resolved through negotiations and discussions within the coalition. And the coalition together have these discussions with the professional categories”.
Asked if he believes that at this moment there is a competition between Ilie Bolojan and Sorin Grindeanu, Nicușor Dan said that he sees “a different positioning on political communication on many topics between PNL and PSD (…) I didn't say competition, I said different positioning”.
Also asked if he thinks that the current government is holding on, that is, it lasts until the spring of 2027, Nicușor Dan said that he wants it.
“Of course there will be assessments of ministers within the parties, within the coalition. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that people will think differently and not refrain from publicly attacking each other. All in all, for the time being, on the important votes, the coalition has worked,” added Dan.
“I don't see why I wouldn't nominate Sorin Grindeanu as prime minister”
Regarding the scenario of appointing Ilie Bolojan as prime minister if he remains in Cotroceni for a second term, Nicușor Dan said: “Ilie Bolojan leads the PNL and to the extent that, in future elections, we will be in this situation, of course.”
Also asked if he will appoint Sorin Grindeanu as prime minister on the government circular, the president replied: “To the extent that the PSD will decide in 2027 that Sorin Grindeanu is the proposal for prime minister, I don't see why I wouldn't make this nomination. But until 2027, there is still a year and a half.”
Asked by the journalist if he still remembers Ordonanța 13, when Grindeanu was prime minister, and about the fact that he was one of the Romanians who went out to protest in Piața Victoriei, Nicușor Dan said that now “the political situation is different”.
“I remember very well. But, as I also remember the parliamentary configuration from 2016-2020. I was a new USR deputy.
We are in a different political situation, where stability in Romania means, even if there are many of my voters who have remained in this logic of contesting the PSD, we are in a political configuration where stability is important and this stability is not possible without the PSD. This is the truth”.
Nicusor Dan, “a question for people who have the right to think differently”
Asked if, for this stability, they are prepared to appoint Sorin Grindeanu as prime minister in 2027 if the PSD officially proposes him, Nicușor Dan answered:
“Yes. My question – for people who have the right to think differently – is what is the alternative to this stability that I'm talking about? Because, if we look, we'll see that we don't have it. That's why it's very nice when, democratically and with intellectual value, everything is very nice “when you issue opinions in the public space, but the moment you look at a reality and a majority for a decision, then you have to accept it”.
