Siegfried Mureșan says he has no intention of taking over the leadership of the PNL from Ilie Bolojan if he becomes prime minister and that he would categorically reject any attempt to remove him.
The designated Prime Minister states that he will focus on the Government’s activities and will work in partnership with the PNL leader, regardless of the position Bolojan will hold in the state.
"I always mind my own business and I don't seek to take others' seats," Mureșan declared on Friday evening on Digi24.
Asked if he would accept the leadership of the PNL in case his colleagues proposed replacing Bolojan, Mureșan replied that he doesn't believe such a proposal will exist. "I will work in partnership with Ilie Bolojan and if, in a hypothetical scenario, someone were to tell me 'Let's do something against President Ilie Bolojan,' I would categorically refuse to do so," he stated.
The designated Prime Minister invoked his and the PNL leader's character as a guarantee that his appointment at Victoria Palace will not trigger a leadership struggle within the party. "I believe the character of politicians is important. I know Ilie Bolojan's character and I think he, as well as my colleagues in the National Liberal Party, know my character," Mureșan said.
How he found out he would be designated
Siegfried Mureșan also recounted how the discussions with President Nicușor Dan unfolded prior to his designation.
The head of state contacted him a day before the announcement and informed him that he intended to entrust him with the mandate to form the Government. The two had not discussed his possible nomination at this stage of the political crisis before.
"The President of Romania contacted me yesterday and openly informed me that he will nominate me to form the Government. I thanked him for this nomination and I told him that I would like us to have a proper discussion, since the President of Romania and I had not discussed forming the Government during this period," Mureșan recounted.
As Nicușor Dan was not in Bucharest, the two agreed to stay in touch and meet after the president's return to the country.
After the initial discussion, Mureșan informed Ilie Bolojan. The two agreed that the partners from USR and UDMR should also be informed before the designation became public.
The designated Prime Minister mentioned that approximately 30 minutes passed between the first call from the president and accepting the mandate. "If nothing happened in 84 days and within 30 minutes he informed me that he would nominate me, I announced that I accept, and he made the announcement, I think things happened very quickly," Mureșan stated.
"A trauma" for liberals
Mureșan explained that he insisted on discussing his designation in advance with the leaders of the three parties due to the precedent set by the nomination of Adrian Veștea.
He described the moment when the liberals found out that a prime minister was resigning and that another member of the party was to be designated without consulting the party leadership as "a trauma" for the PNL.
"It was, for many of us liberal colleagues, a trauma the way the Government formation led by Mr. Adrian Veștea was attempted," he said.
Mureșan emphasized that a close relationship and coordination with the PNL are essential to him and that the current designation was made with the party's support. "When it comes to state affairs, it is extremely important to be correct and do things by the book," added the designated Prime Minister.
When asked what he would do differently from Ilie Bolojan, Mureșan replied that they have a similar set of values, but they are different individuals. "Don't expect me to do everything exactly like Mr. Ilie Bolojan. He drinks coffee, I don't drink coffee. So there are differences between us," Mureșan concluded.