AGERPRES special correspondent to New York, the U.S., Florin Stefan reports: Early elections mean four-five-six months of banners in the streets, TV commercials, quarrels among parties and I think that Romanians do not want this in any way, and the parties must do what the people who gave them the vote dictate, President Nicusor Dan said in an interview with AGERPRES on Wednesday in New York.

The President also explained why he emphasised, in his first speech at the UN, the danger to democracy posed by manipulation through social media, saying that this phenomenon does not receive the necessary attention.

Also, Dan said that the election of Dacian Ciolos at the head of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), one of the objectives pursued by Romania on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, could 'give a more pragmatic and more development-oriented and investment-oriented form to this organisation.'


AGERPRES: Mr President, you began your first speech at the UN with a reference to the danger to democracy of manipulation through social media. Why did you choose this theme, which to many Romanians is associated with the reasons behind the cancellation of the 2024 presidential elections?
Nicusor Dan: I chose this for a technical reason: I cut out what belongs to society from what belongs to the relations between societies, on the one hand, but, on the other hand, because, in my opinion, it is a very big danger to democracies. It is a danger that I have seen, at least in the interactions with European leaders, which are more frequent. I have seen it mentioned by each of them and it seems to me that we do not pay enough attention to this phenomenon.

AGERPRES: Secondly, in your speech you asked for the support of the French-speaking countries for the candidacy of Mr Dacian Ciolos for the position of secretary general of the International Organisation of La Francophonie. What can Romania offer to African countries in addition to what Mr Ciolos' opponents in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania or Rwanda have already offered?
Nicușor Dan: Yes, first of all, a vision of what this organisation should be, because so far it has somehow been restricted to a cultural-academic area. Romania has contributed to that, starting from the tradition of students that we had in Romanian universities and some of whom are today in important positions in these countries. But the organisation did not focus on an economic development that would take advantage of these relationships of trust and culture that have developed between states. And I think that is what Dacian Ciolos, someone who knows how to work with banks, who knows how to work with medium and long-term programmes, can do: give a more pragmatic and more development-oriented and investment-oriented form to this organisation.

AGERPRES: You have harshly criticised Russia in your three speeches, and you have also asked for the tightening of economic sanctions. Should we expect Romania's position to be firmer from now on in case of possible new violations of Romanian airspace?
Nicusor Dan: No, our position has been constant. As far as airspace violations are concerned, we have tried to have, diplomatically, a proportionate response. However, in the speeches of last year, I focused more on pragmatic aspects: the sanctions regime, the concrete aid provided to Ukraine, the refugee situation, energy interconnections. But, in my opinion, it went without saying that we condemn the Russian aggression and support Ukraine.

AGERPRES: If the government proposed by Siegfried Murean does not get Parliament's vote of confidence, do you consider triggering early elections? If not, what political solution do you envisage to avoid prolonging the crisis and a deterioration of citizens' trust in state institutions?
Nicusor Dan: I want his government to pass. That is the reason why I made the appointment. I don't want to discuss too much about what will happen if it doesn't pass. In any case, early elections, to be clear to everyone, mean four-five-six months of banners in the streets, TV commercials, quarrels among parties, and I think Romanians don't want that in any way. So, in politics, in my opinion, you have to do pretty much what the people who voted for you dictate you to do. And that means the parties must, finally, find willingness to dialogue in order to come up with a solution.

AGERPRES: Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan has announced that he will suggest in the governing agenda a voluntary merger of small towns patterned on the model implemented by Moldova. Do you consider such an initiative appropriate?
Nicusor Dan: (...) As you know, I was in Chisinau three or four weeks ago and I had a discussion with the prime minister. I saw this agenda and I think it is very good. Of course, the technical implementation mode must be discussed, but I think a merger of small towns, a voluntary one at the moment, is welcome. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Mariana Ionescu; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)