Why does Nicușor Dan postpone appointments at the top of the secret services. “opportunity” strategy

High-level discussions within the Romanian state regarding the appointment of secret service chiefs “are deliberately suspended” when “other topics and tensions” are on the public agenda, President Nicușor Dan said Thursday evening, at the end of the informal meeting of European leaders in Belgium.

Moreover, the head of state avoided advancing a date when he will formulate the proposals for the leadership of the intelligence services.

“Deliberately these discussions are suspended when there are other discussions and tensions in the public space in the political area. Let's finish the contest for prosecutors, the budget and we will come back to them,” said the president.

Also, Nicușor Dan specified that it is about “an opportunity analysis” regarding this subject.

“Let's see, finish the competition for prosecutors, the budget draft and return to the discussion with appointments to the services. It's an opportunity analysis, when it's better to have this discussion”, added Nicușor Dan.

The head of state also said that he cannot advance a deadline for these appointments so as not to be accused of “not sticking” to it.

The president's stakes: the heads of SRI and DNA

In January, when asked in Paris when a decision would be made on the appointment of chief prosecutors, President Dan said “the procedure will be launched in the coming days”. The head of state was decided, at least at that moment, to keep his choice of names for the SRI and DNA leadership as an informal prerogative, when he will consult with the prime minister and the political parties, sources from the Cotroceni Palace explained to HotNews.

“The president is determined to appoint a man in whom he has full confidence to DNA”, a source from the Cotroceni Palace explained to HotNews. The statement was confirmed by the second source, who added that Nicușor Dan has two stakes in this election: the head of SRI and that of DNA.

Dan considers the two institutions vital in the anti-corruption policy and regaining the citizen's trust in the state, about which he has repeatedly spoken lately.

Regarding the secret services, the difference is that the two heads are validated by Parliament. The process corresponds to the constitutional logic, which has appreciated since the founding of the Constitution, that SRI, SIE and the other secret services are under the control of the legislative power.

Both at SRI and at SIE, the appointment of civilians was established.

Three names, on the list for the head of SRI and SIE

The president is considering three people for the positions of directors of the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service, and the appointment of the heads of the SRI and SIE could be made this month, political sources said earlier on Thursday, for the Agerpres press agency.

According to these sources, the appointments will not be bundled with those of the heads of the major Prosecutor's Offices and will come after negotiations with the parties.

On January 7, Nicușor Dan declared that the appointments for the positions of directors of the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service will be made after discussions with the parliamentary parties, so that they are validated by the Legislature.

“As for the heads of services, because the president proposes and the Parliament has to vote, precisely from the perspective of this stability, I don't think it will happen that we don't discuss before, on the contrary, we will discuss so that the appointments are validated by the Parliament”, said the head of state.

Nicușor Dan also showed, at that time, that he wants, in these positions, “people of professional human maturity who have interacted with many environments over time”.

The president had another attempt to appoint the heads of SRI and SIE. The press recorded the names of the lawyer Gabriel Zbârcea for the SRI and of the diplomat Marius Lazurca for the SIE, unconfirmed by the Cotroceni Palace.