Nicușor Dan's advisor denies PSD affiliation, says president sacrificed image for pro-European unity

Defense against the 'PSD-ist' label

In an interview on Digi24's 'În fața ta' on Saturday, presidential advisor Eugen Tomac firmly denied that President Nicușor Dan belongs to the Social Democratic Party. Tomac described Dan as a politician rooted in civil society activism.

“Nicușor Dan is a politician who formed starting from this fight and belief that the voice of civil society must be heard.”

He insisted the label is a misinterpretation of Dan's political objectives.

The strategy of keeping PSD pro-European

Tomac explained that the 'pesedist' label emerged because the president chose to engage with PSD rather than let internal party warfare push it away from Europe.

“The president had this objective of convincing PSD that it is much better to remain on this side of the pro-European project than to let this PSD vs anti-PSD war intensify.”

He said Dan wanted all democratic, pro-European parties to remain united, even at the cost of his own image capital.

Voter disappointment and personal sacrifice

Tomac acknowledged that many Romanians are dissatisfied.

“He is aware that a good part of Romanians have much higher expectations.”

He argued Dan acts in good faith and that deep reforms cannot happen overnight. Tomac framed the president's choices as a personal sacrifice:

“He could have been an extremely comfortable independent president, who let parties carry out their agenda as they feel is better, electorally, for them.”

Criticism from within the coalition

The interview follows public criticism from PNL deputy Alexandru Muraru, who accused the president of blocking government formation and protecting PSD, demanding a public apology to the National Liberal Party. Tomac did not directly address Muraru but reiterated Dan's integrity, saying the president consults others but filters every decision through his own judgment.