Romania’s new president Nicusor Dan was officially sworn in on Monday, ending a six-month political crisis sparked by the cancellation of the previous ballot which plunged the EU member into its worst political and social turmoil in decades.
The former mathematician and Bucharest mayor who decisively beat off the nationalist frontrunner in the May 18 runoff has his work cut out as he steps into his five-year term.
Romania has the largest budget deficit of the European Union, putting future funds at risk and the country has seen the rise of an unruly far-right which now controls nearly one-third of Parliament. Dan’s first job is to form a pro-Western government and reassure foreign investors that the political crisis is over and the economic troubles can be fixed.
At a ceremony in the Romanian Parliament on Monday lunchtime, he promised to get to work on Romania’s economic problems and as president be “open to the voice of society.”
“The Romanian state needs a fundamental change … and I invite you to continue to be involved with all the social force you have proven, to put positive pressure on the institutions of the Romanian state so that they can reform,” the new president who started his public career as a civic activist.
“I assure you that I will be a president who listens to the voice of society and who is a partner to that society.”
The May election rerun was held after Romania annulled the original election in which radical outsider Calin Georgescu improbably won the first round following allegations of Russian interference and violations of campaign spending. Moscow denies meddling.
The Constitutional Court’s decision to void elections last December plunged Romania into uncharted political waters in which President Klaus Iohannis was forced to resign and Georgescu was barred from standing again, triggering protests and criticism from the US and Russia.
Centrist Dan ran as an independent and promised to keep Romania on its Western path, support Ukraine, and reduce the 9.3% budget deficit, EU’s largest. “The Romanian state is spending more than it can afford,” Dan told Parliament on Monday.
“It is in the national interest for Romania to send a message of stability to financial markets,” he said. “It is in the national interest to send a signal of openness and predictability to the investment environment.”
The election outcome was seen as vital in keeping Romania’s place as a strong EU and NATO ally.
Dan’s first job is to nominate a prime minister who can get the votes to form a pro-European government.
