Nicușor Dan had a live intervention on CNN on Tuesday, where he talked about George Simion, the strategic partnership with the United States, the need to truly change the relationship between the state and the citizen in Romania, as well as the need for Europe to be able to defend itself.
The President-elect of Romania responded to the remarks made by the AUR leader.
Nicușor Dan stated, "Mr. Simion said that he is pro-Donald Trump administration and pro-MAGA, which is not accurate. That's not what we have here. There are conservative parties, progressive parties, and Mr. Simion said he is the only conservative in Romania, which is not true. He also claimed to be the only candidate of an anti-system party, which is also not true."
Nicușor Dan also brought up the joint letter of the seven former US ambassadors, highlighting the need for Romania to maintain its commitment to Euro-Atlantic values: "This is what I can say about him, considering the letter sent by the seven former US ambassadors to Romania after 1990. It was said that Romania must choose between the West, the United States on one side, and Russia on the other. George Simion is one of the Romanian politicians who presents the same story as the Russian administration."
Additionally, the President-elect mentioned that he received an official message from the US Embassy. "I just received a letter from the US Embassy. I trust it will be the beginning of a new stage in our strategic partnership," said Nicușor Dan, as quoted by Mediafax.
He added that there was no support from the Trump administration for Simion: "There was no support from the Trump administration for him, only Mr. Simion was saying that he receives this support, but there was no such support."
"Europe needs to ensure its own defense"
When asked if he believes that European countries will manage to gather the necessary resources to support Ukraine and defend the rest of the continent against what many consider the Russian threat, Nicușor Dan replied that he supports the idea that Europe needs to ensure its own defense, and Romania must be part of this effort.
"I have received reactions from European leaders. Indeed, since the beginning of the war, we have had such messages. I believe that Europe needs to ensure its own defense and that Romania needs to be part of these things," said Nicușor Dan, quoted by News.ro.
Regarding the fact that many EU states want to support Ukraine but lack the necessary resources, and in this context countries like France, Germany, and the UK are the ones who should allocate the most money, Nicușor Dan stated that he is "very pleased that European countries and leaders understand the danger Russia poses to the entire Europe."
"All the discussions that have taken place so far have highlighted the fact that, with few exceptions, European countries have agreed that they need to contribute to Europe's security in a balanced way," added Nicușor Dan.
"We must regain the trust of the Romanians"
On the other hand, Nicușor Dan drew attention to the growing dissatisfaction of Romanians with the direction the country has been led in over the last decades.
"Many people in Romania are disappointed with the politics of the last 35 years, they are disappointed with the relationship between the state and the citizens and with corruption," he said, as quoted by Mediafax.
Dan emphasized that mere anti-system rhetoric is not enough.
To truly change the relationship between the state and the citizen, the President-elect believes that more than promises are needed: "We must regain the trust of the Romanians in order to act in the interest of the citizens."
The US Embassy officials in Bucharest announced earlier today that they are looking forward to collaborating with the new President Nicușor Dan, as well as with the new government to be installed.
Later, Nicușor Dan specified on ProTV that he will have an official meeting with representatives of the US Embassy in Bucharest. More precisely, on Wednesday he will meet with the interim chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy, as Nicușor Dan stated on CNN.
Subsequently, in a message on X, the President-elect conveyed Romania's commitment to the strategic partnership with the United States, expressing confidence in a strong relationship with the Trump administration and emphasizing the importance of bilateral cooperation in the fields of security, energy, and trade.