PSD President Marcel Ciolacu announced that in the upcoming opinion poll, only one candidate from the parties forming the governing coalition will be included, and that candidate is Crin Antonescu.
He specified that the decision to support the former PNL leader in the presidential elections has been made, and proposed holding a joint congress of PSD, PNL, and UDMR to validate Crin Antonescu’s candidacy.
UPDATE: PNL President Ilie Bolojan announced on Monday that the statutory body of PNL has been convened on January 26 to validate Crin Antonescu's candidacy in the presidential elections. He also stated that PNL respects the commitment made by signing the coalition collaboration protocol and has confidence in Crin Antonescu's qualities and experience.
- The coalition has set the date for the presidential elections. Crin Antonescu remains the common candidate.
- Crin Antonescu is not worried, even though parties are testing multiple options for the presidential elections: Whatever happens, it doesn't bother me.
Marcel Ciolacu was asked if Crin Antonescu's candidacy for the presidential elections on behalf of the governing coalition will be validated on Monday.
"No. We agreed with Mr. Bolojan, first we receive the polling data, then a validation National Standing Bureau meeting follows. The decision has been made. There will be only one candidate in the poll: Crin Antonescu. One candidate will be listed, then we have the National Standing Bureau meeting and then PSD needs to hold a congress. Maybe we will have a joint congress with PNL and UDMR," stated Marcel Ciolacu.
He was also asked whether this timeline for the presidential elections is correct or if the elections could have been held earlier than May.
"It is a very fair one because it overlapped with the Easter holidays. You couldn't set the voting day on Palm Sunday or even on Easter. We set the dates for May 4 and 18, today we validate them," said the PSD leader.
The sociological analysis will measure the trend and political will, how the votes have shifted and the candidate's profile, compared to other personalities who have announced their intention to run in the May presidential elections, coalition sources stated.
Thus, in the sociological analysis, the intentions of other candidates who have announced their intention to run in the presidential elections will be measured, but only Crin Antonescu will be tested on behalf of the coalition.
So far, other personalities who have announced their intention to run in the presidential elections are Elena Lasconi, Nicuşor Dan, Daniel Funeriu, and Ana Birchall.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced that this week, in the first Government meeting, all the necessary documents for organizing the presidential elections in May will be approved.