President Nicușor Dan on magistrates, poverty, and the Bolojan government

In a press conference on Tuesday evening at Cotroceni Palace, President Nicușor Dan fielded questions on a range of topics, from the situation of magistrates to public perceptions of luxury and his assessment of the government led by Ilie Bolojan.

Responding to a question about magistrates who say they were harassed by the Judicial Inspection, the president said he had held a dialogue with them between December 2025 and February 2026 but that the subsequent political crisis had diverted attention. He added that he was ready to resume discussions now that there is a government. However, he said he had not seen a systematic dossier of alleged abuses, and asked for names and specific cases so he could request the files.

Judge Sorina Marinaș, one of the magistrates named in the discussion, later responded that she had already sent the president her complete disciplinary file in September 2026. She said the file concerned accusations from the Judicial Inspection that she had exerted "pressures and threats" during a promotion contest, which she firmly rejected. According to her, either the president or an adviser at Cotroceni was not telling the truth, as she had provided the documentation.

Asked about the luxurious outfits displayed at a recent baptism attended by politicians, President Dan said that such contrasts, especially when shown by public officials, contribute to public dissatisfaction. He added that he did not think chasing after a chinchilla coat would get far, and that he had encouraged chief prosecutors to focus on large-scale tax evasion. He defined poverty as the inability to send a child to school for lack of clothes, or a pensioner having to choose between utilities, food, and medicine, noting that purchasing power had objectively decreased due to inflation.

When asked specifically about the government of Ilie Bolojan, the president replied briefly that Bolojan had led the government for a year and was dismissed by a no-confidence motion. He said he had thanked him publicly at the end of his mandate and preferred not to enter a political debate in order to maintain his role as mediator and facilitator.