LIVE Nicușor Dan, interview on Romania TV: About the measures of the Bolojan Government: If we talk from the point of view of affecting the lives of Romanians, I think things could have been done differently / A “rebuke” for the government and the coalition: Greater care in communicating with the people

The President of Romania is in the Romania TV studio on Sunday evening, where he addresses several topics on the internal and external agenda. It is the first interview given by Nicușor Dan for this television station.

HotNews broadcasts LIVE TEXT of the president's remarks

You recently released the defense strategy and you talk about corruption in it. How do you see the situation that a briber enters the prime minister's office and wants to offer an amount to change a director of the veterinary department?

• This type of people exist in society. The fact that following this meeting there was no administrative consequence means that in this case and in others, such as the one at MApN, the political decision-makers were firm. The phenomenon of corruption must be better managed. When you're in a decision-making position you have a lot of meetings, you probably meet dozens of people in a day and you don't have time to see information about them.

What worries you most about corruption?

• People see how people get hired in town halls, that suddenly if you get hired there you can do better, they see that at a large level they are proven corrupt and, after a year or two, they got out of prison. There is a phenomenon of corruption, which diminishes trust in the state. Citizens lose as resources are extracted from the economy. Corruption undermines the economy.

About the Government's measures

• Romanians are doing worse compared to six months ago. The fact that we have an inflation of 10% means that every Romanian buys 10% less than he could buy. On the other hand, we, as a society, had to take some measures, because Romania is lent by some investment funds, the bank, and these people said that if we don't reduce the deficit some will withdraw, others will borrow even more expensively. So we would have entered a vicious circle.
• 2026 will be difficult, but from 2027 there is every hope of growth for the economy. As things stand now, there are no measures other than those announced on their family budgets, but there will still be some taxes already announced, such as the property tax, which comes into effect on January 1. The biggest effect on VAT may be a small impact on revenues at the beginning of 2026 and that should be about it. The state will have to pay for many of the expenses that the state makes.

Were the measures a failure?

• If we look at the macro, it was a success, i.e. Romania avoided relegation on the financial markets and there is no longer any question of returning there. If we look at how they affected people's lives, here we can talk about maybe things could have been done differently.
• We had a deal on VAT at the beginning of the government. We always look at some numbers and two weeks from now the numbers are different. We had discussions with the European Commission and they said that our numbers are moving from one side to the other, it's not normal.

Did someone hide the real numbers?

• I wouldn't say that, only that the institutions don't collaborate with each other.

If you had to criticize the Government, the Prime Minister, what would those things be?

• I would not enter into a substantive debate. Of course we have discussions with the coalition leaders from time to time. I think that more care in communicating things with people, that is, the measures that are taken, I think that would be important.

Does the Prime Minister's rigidity bother you?

• It's very difficult in a two-party coalition, I've seen that, let alone a four-party coalition. It's always difficult, legitimately every party has an electorate, the electorate wants one thing. Making it compatible is difficult, but beyond these blunt discussions, some may be missing, the fact that they still manage to take action together is a good thing. Things are under control.

How do you work with PSD?

• It's no secret that I had a long history of tension with the PSD, especially at the local level, in Bucharest, but I have a very good relationship with the PSD since it agreed to form a coalition at the national level. All discussions are reasonable. I interact with Grindeanu the most.

How is the relationship with USR?

• Again, it's no secret that with USR I had a very good relationship all these five years at the Capital City Hall, so from a human point of view, if you like, I'm closer to USR. Beyond that, in terms of the coalition relationship, I try to respect my mandate as a mediator.

Do you mind me saying you support them in the campaign?

• I think we are looking at the same sites and I get the same ads, and it says “you will have a partner in me”. If you go back to the PNL Congress in the summer, you will see that at the end I told them exactly the same phrase.

Not going to be a player, not going to get involved in the campaign?

• The constitution forbids me, in a matter like the election, to take one side or the other. As a former mayor, as a resident, Bucharest matters for Romania, I can say what I think must happen in this city, that we must look at where the money goes, that we must limit the real estate mafia.
• The constitution stops me from saying everything I know about how these two sector mayors (Băluță and Ciucu) behaved in the relationship with real estate speculators. Information I've said over time, but now being a Constitution campaign makes me pause.

Do you have a favorite?

• I have a favorite that I will stamp in the voting booth. It's a four-way race, any one of which can win the Capital City Hall.