The National Council of the Romanian Liberal Party (PNL) officially designated its leader, Nicolae Ciucă, as the presidential candidate. The decision was taken unanimously, according to Digi24.

“I am the candidate of the National Liberal Party in the presidential election, and I feel it is my most important mission so far,” Ciucă said.

He also stated that the first option of the PNL after the elections is an alliance with the right-wing parties and not with the current ally, the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He acknowledged that the decision to form a ruling coalition with the Social Democrats has caused distrust among the Liberals voters.

“I talked a lot with people, and I can tell you that those who look at us with distrust tell me the main reason is the political collaboration with the PSD. We talked about it, we did not doubt that we would lose electoral points. We would have wanted to form a right-wing coalition, but political immaturity made it impossible to continue the alliance,” Nicolae Ciucă said.

Marcel Ciolacu, the Social Democrat ruling partner of Nicolae Ciucă, is also running for president. Other candidates are USR president Elena Lasconi, former NATO deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană, and AUR president George Simion.

The presidential elections will be held on November 24 and December 8.

As part of his presidential campaign, PNL leader Nicolae Ciucă recently released a book titled In the Service of the Country. The volume, available for download for free, recounts both the personal and professional life of the general-turned-politician and is meant to publicize his candidacy for the presidency.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / George Călin)