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PM Dancila, about her participation in the presidential election and the Government reshuffle this summer
The PSD (Social Democratic Party) leader, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, on Thursday has stated that, if the party asks her to run in the presidential elections she will do it. However, at this point, her option is to rather endorse "another candidate."
"I haven't considered this yet, I just thought we are going to support another candidate and I, as a Prime Minister, Chairperson of the PSD, I will support this other candidate to win the presidential elections. But I wouldn't want anyone to believe I am a coward. If the party asks me to run in the presidential elections and believes this is the only solution, then I will accept what the party says. However, at this point, I believe it will be best to have another candidate. For us it's important to back the persons that enjoy the trust of the party and who will be supported by all organisations, who will create that wave of trust we keep talking about, both among our members and among our sympathizers, but also among other citizens, for I hope we will get a good score," said Dancila, at DC News, when asked if she believes it's normal for the PSD leader to also be the candidate to run in the presidential elections, even when she is also the Prime Minister.
She also added that the PSD is an organised party, which knows what to do in an electoral campaign. "We know how to speak to people, what to say to people, for we took good measures, but, at the same time, we need other people to join us. And maybe we made mistakes, for we didn't speak to the young enough or to the multinationals, diaspora. Yes, we must come with messages and good things for other segments than the ones we have prioritized until now."
When asked again if she would accept a possible proposal from the PSD Congress to run in the presidential elections, Viorica Dancila said: "If there is no other option to take us to the second round, so that we can win the elections, if the party asks for it, I won't step back, but, as I said, my option right now is to back another candidate."
Regarding a government reshuffle, she said that it will take place this summer, and it could be followed by a streamlining of the cabinet in autumn
"The reshuffle will take place this summer; I have started the assessment of each ministry. (...) There are 27 ministries, so I cannot come up all in one, but as I make the assessments, I will come before the Executive Committee to talk with my colleagues so that where the measures contained in the governance programme are not accomplished (...) or where we think we can improve things, I will come up with a proposal for reshuffle. Do not ask me to nominate the ministries, because I will not do that, not before a discussion with the National Executive Committee. But, there will be a reshuffle," Dancila told DC News.
Asked whether there will be changes in important ministries, the prime minister said to her all ministries are important.
"We are considering an analysis for streamlining this autumn, but the analysis needs to be done very carefully. We are not talking about restructuring for the sake of restructuring, we have to weigh the good things and the less good things after the restructuring, what we get from restructuring and then come before Parliament with it. I do not think we have to do a restructuring to replace people. We are doing a restructuring to unite the ministries to come up with another configuration of the government. So in August we will talk about that. But there will be reshuffle wherever needed (...) I hope that we will conduct some reshuffling by August 3, before the convention of our Congress," said Dancila.
She did not exclude the possibility that the reshuffle should be done in two stages.
"If we do not do proceed with the restructuring, a two-stage reshuffle would be quite possible, because (...) there are many ministries. I cannot wait for the assessment of all ministries to end. I will first assess half of the ministries and I come up with a first proposal and see whether or not the other half needs to change anything," she said.
Dancila added that the restructuring can only be performed in Parliament and that she will discuss the subject this autumn after Parliament's recess.
"We will see then if restructuring really has the impact we want. If not, we will probably talk about a new reshuffle (...)," she said.