The former president of PMP Cristian Diaconescu announced, on Thursday evening, his intention to run as an independent in the presidential elections, saying that he has already started the campaign to collect the more than 200,000 necessary signatures. “Independent does not mean alone. I am with the Romanians and they are with me and I am with them”, he pointed out.
“I decided to run for the presidency of Romania as an independent. Independent does not mean alone. I am with the Romanians and they are with me and I am with them. We can file a nomination, but we need over 200,000 signatures. There are many obstacles in the way of independent candidates. It is not easy at all, we have already started collecting signatures”, stated Diaconescu, in a video message posted on Facebook on Thursday evening.
He said that volunteers are already collecting signatures in several cities in the country. “We need your help, you are the force that can transform this initiative into a national movement. I know it’s not easy, but with each signature we are one step closer to the change we want”, claimed Diaconescu.
Aged 65, Diaconescu was minister of justice in the government of Adrian Năstase (10 March–28 December 2004) and minister of foreign affairs in the government of Emil Boc (1) (2008–2009), from the PSD side. On January 24, 2012, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Emil Boc (2) government, this time from the UNPR. He was foreign minister in the government of Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu. Cristian Diaconescu became an adviser to President Traian Băsescu, from May 2012, a position he held until April 30, 2014.