The President of Romania, throughout the political crisis, repeatedly emphasized whenever he had the opportunity that he is nothing but a „mediator.” By adopting such a position, he placed himself outside political interactions, deeply dissatisfying those who brought him to the Cotroceni Palace a year ago.
The dissatisfaction stems from the fact that during the electoral campaign, Nicușor Dan vigorously promoted the idea that he would be an active president.
He discussed political issues, alliances, the desired prime minister, of course referring to Ilie Bolojan, about VAT, writing economic promises without coverage on napkins.
What shocked many of those who voted for him, after his arrival at the Cotroceni Palace, was the gap between the campaign promises and his actions.
It is very likely that Nicușor Dan, immediately after taking office, found a reality there completely different from what he imagined, but if true, it is just another problem of the presidential candidate who did not inform himself and did not prepare for what it means to be the head of state in Romania.
Today, according to individuals who know him and have worked with him, see the interview I conducted with Ludovic Orban, the President of Romania is shocked by Ilie Bolojan's rising popularity and feels unfairly treated by "influencers" and journalists.
Failure on all fronts
In reality, his shock must come from the impression he gives the public daily that, at the Cotroceni Palace, the same disastrous policies from the second term of Klaus Iohannis are still being pursued, catastrophic for Romania.
For verification, many of the critical statements made by Ludovic Orban, former political advisor to Nicușor Dan, have been confirmed by other qualified individuals who wished to remain anonymous.
The current President of Romania has failed to build a political majority and has surrendered to the PSD.
The President was, in a way, the godfather of this coalition. He had the responsibility to sanction any deviation from the protocol. How can you not take a public stand when a political party in the coalition triggers a crisis?
He failed to produce the promised report on the cancellation of the November 2024 elections, failed to appoint heads of intelligence services, and failed to clarify Romania's foreign policy, with the country continuing to be marginalized and seen as a major source of instability.
But above all, Nicușor Dan missed the opportunity to build a relationship with the person he wanted as prime minister, leaving him alone in an unequal battle with the PSD and AUR.
Did he deserve it?
Assuming a neutral role, just one year after the presidential elections, at a time when the entire population is looking for a leader and direction, is a catastrophic decision that will strongly mark the rest of Nicușor Dan's term.
If he had gotten involved and tried to keep his campaign promises, he most likely would have been impeached, but at least he would have gained public support and had the opportunity to return to the Cotroceni Palace and continue what he promised. He would have become a hero. Yes, there are many justifications that he did not do this because Romania would have become unstable and economic problems would have arisen.
If we look around us today, everything is collapsing. The leu is rapidly devaluing, fuel prices are high, thank you very much, inflation is also high, and corruption is rampant. Did he deserve it?
It is not too late for the current President to change his approach and review point by point what he promised in the electoral campaign, to no longer advocate for AUR, explaining why it is not an extremist party - there are hundreds of examples indicating the exact opposite - and to no longer publicly defend prosecutors who were fixers for Iohannis or who targeted journalists investigating cases of sexual abuse and pedophilia.