Nicusor Dan hopes USR will have its own candidate for presidency in 2019, he would run for Bucharest mayor

Deputy Nicusor Dan, former leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) said on Tuesday that the party should have its own candidate for the presidential elections in 2019.

He said President Klaus Iohannis “is a person who proved balance, professionalism in positioning Romania on the international arena. On the other hand he could have launched a public debate on important issues for Romania and thus force the political parties to accept those issues that otherwise they would not. For example the reform of the election system,” Dan said for Digi 24 TV private broadcaster.

Nicusor Dan said that currently USR’s image is “as having a growth crisis” and that the internal referendum on family shouldn’t have led to such high energy consumption. He claims the risk of USR splitting is “rather low”. There are two current in USR, he said. A ‘progressive-minded USR’ represented by Vlad Alexandrescu and Florina Presada and a ‘liberal USR’ supported by Cristian Ghinea and Dan Barna.

Nicusor Dan stressed he never refused inviting Dacian Ciolos to the party, but there was “no request from him to join the party”.

He added that he would be very pleased to run in 2020 for the office of Bucharest City Hall mayor. “I’ve ran twice, I have experience and I would like to run in 2020,” Nicusor Dan said.