“I put the stamp on who I thought was leading”: President Nicușor Dan explains how he voted in the elections for the Capital City Hall

The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, said on the show “40 questions” with Denise Rifai, broadcast on Saturday evening, that in the elections for the Capital City Hall he voted “for who I thought was leading”.

“With my vote, I put my stamp on who I thought was leading. In politics there is only one rule: people are right,” said the head of state, quoted by News.ro.

Nicușor Dan explained that he will not publicly indicate the voted candidate.

“I won't be able to say that, I can say that it's a city that I know well and I especially know the administration and the temptations surrounding the administration well. With my vote, I put my stamp on who I thought was leading the way… In politics there is only one rule: people are right. It was a process, I even joked with the journalists, I said that I haven't voted for someone else at the Capital City Hall for a long time, because I've been running for this position since 2012”, declared Nicusor Dan.

Asked if he congratulated Ciprian Ciucu, Nicusor Dan declared that he would.

“Not yet until this moment (of recording the show, no), but I will do it. Again, it is a responsibility that the citizens give you. There are a number of projects, of directions that are open and must be followed, that is, heating is at 30-35 percent, public transport – there are some signed contracts, we still need to find the money. I believe that this city can develop in good faith. What I want to say in relation to the mayor, we must let's put last year's referendum into practice (…)”, Nicuşor Dan also declared.

During the statements after the first results of the exit polls for the Capital City Hall, the winner, Ciprian Ciucu, was asked by Cotidianul journalists if he thinks that President Nicușor Dan voted for him. Ciucu said no and even had a variant for the head of state's vote.

“No. I know that he voted for Ana Ciceală. That's what I heard, I hope I don't create any news, anything, now…”, said Ciucu, who was in a tense relationship with mayor Nicușor Dan during their mandates in Bucharest.

Nicușor Dan, sharp reply for Ciprian Ciucu

Nicușor Dan publicly congratulated Ciprian Ciucu, in a message posted on Facebook, several hours after he was declared the winner.

“Congratulations and success to Ciprian Ciucu. A complex city, already historic arrears and a complex relationship with the other authorities of the state. The people of Bucharest have elected a mayor, we must now give him the means to govern the city,” wrote Dan on Facebook, Monday afternoon.

The leader from Cotroceni gave a sharp answer, in the press conference in Paris, when a Romanian reporter asked him who he voted with in Sunday's elections at the Capital City Hall.

“I think that whatever job you have, when you open your mouth, you have to rely on what you're talking about. That's about the only comment I can make,” answered Nicușor Dan, who had started laughing when the reporter told him what Ciprian Ciucu had said about him.