Nicușor Dan, face to face with the protesters in Cotroceni: “I will assume the appointments I will sign./I have a hundred times more information than you have”
President Nicușor Dan went out on Friday evening in front of the Cotroceni Palace to talk with the protesters dissatisfied with the possible appointments to the leadership of the big prosecutor's offices. He says he will take ownership of the decisions he makes and that the results can be evaluated over time.
Nicusor Dan, visibly embarrassed by the questions and reproaches. PHOTO: AFP
President Nicușor Dan came out, Friday evening, to talk with the protesters gathered in front of the Cotroceni Palace, dissatisfied with the proposals regarding the appointments to the head of the big prosecutor's offices. The head of state entered the middle of the demonstrators and tried to explain to them how the decisions regarding these nominations will be made, but he was assailed by questions and reproaches from all directions.
“What I can tell you is that the appointments I will sign I will assume, that is, the prosecutors who will be signed by me will have my signature”, the president told those present at the protest.
“I have a hundred times more information”
Nicusor Dan claimed that he has much more information about the situation in the justice system than what is circulating in the public space.
“I have a hundred times more information than you have,” he declared
Dan Nicușor, trying to explain that appointment decisions are analyzed based on broader data and assessments.
“You will see the results of these appointments probably within six months from the time they are appointed, because these people have to come in, get to know the institution and work with the people they find there,” Nicuşor Dan assured the protesters from Cotroceni, pointing out that he intends to meet periodically with the management of the institutions in the prosecution system to follow their activity.
In the discussion with the demonstrators, Nicușor Dan also referred to the referendum in the field of justice, stating that they are working on a computer system that will allow magistrates to be consulted in safe conditions.
“We are working on that computer system that, on the one hand, ensures confidentiality, because it was a requirement of the magistrates, and, on the other hand, that this mechanism cannot be challenged”, the president explained.
“I come from civil society”
During the discussion, a protester asked the head of state to maintain a constant dialogue with citizens and civic organizations, in which context Nicușor Dan reminded her that he himself comes from civil society and that he has a long experience in this field.
“Ma'am, I come from civil society, I have been there for 20 years. Do you think that I suddenly turned like this to sit in the fluff? Or what do you think happened to me?”, retorted the president.
In the face of criticism related to the people proposed to lead the prosecutor's offices, the head of state said that he could not comment on each name individually, because it would be pre-pronounced before the completion of the procedure, but that the general perception that all the candidates would be unsuitable does not reflect reality.
“I mean the general opinion in the public space that says that all these people that the commission selected are disasters. They are not,” stated Nicușor Dan, adding that some opinion leaders would try to influence public perception in a wrong direction.
Asked about the statements made in 2025, when he said that he would withdraw the leadership of some prosecutor's offices, Nicușor Dan rejected the idea that he had promised this.
“I never said that I would remove people from the leadership of the Prosecutor's Office, because the president does not have this attribute”, he explained.
