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PM Dancila: Dan Nica is still our proposal for European Commissioner position
MEP Dan Nica remains the main proposal of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) for the position of European Commissioner from Romania, although two proposals of candidates will be sent to the Commission, PSD leader and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said at the end of the meeting of the PSD's National Executive Committee (Cex) on Tuesday.
Dan Nica, former minister of Communications during 2000-2004, was charged by the anti-corruption prosecutors in the high-sounding Microsoft file, being accused of abuse of office if the public servant obtained an undue benefit for himself or for others. But the deed was prescribed, and the case was settled in regard to it.
According to Dancila, Dan Nica's backup option will be Melania Gabriela Ciot, State Secretary for European Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Dan Nica is still the proposal, because Dan Nica is the leader of the PSD MEP delegation in the European Socialists and Democrats Group, he is coordinator of the ITRE Commission [EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy], he is a respected person that is backed by the European Socialists and Democrats Group. Of course, we also have an alternative. We also have a woman, if this is required, Gabriela Ciot, Secretary of State with the Ministry of European Affairs," said Dancila.
The leader of the Social-Democrats said that Romania will proceed as Hungary when the latter sends the proposals for the position of European Commissioner.
"We will proceed exactly the way Hungary will. If Hungary makes two proposals, Romania will make two proposals, too. If Hungary goes with one proposal, Romania will also go with one proposal, considering that there must be a balance," added Dancila.
The CEx meeting has been interrupted however on Tuesday afternoon so that PM Dancila can have a phone talk with Ursula von der Leyen. Dancila told the EC President-elect the party’s decision to nominate Dan Nica, but von der Leyen was not pleased with him, so the Romanian premier came back with a third proposal, Gabrieal Ciot, secretary of state within the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sources from PSD told Digi24 that Ursula von der Leyen had asked Viorica Dancila to send a woman for the Transport Commissioner office.