#2019PresidentialElection Mircea Diaconu: PM is decided by political game, not by Romania's President

The independent candidate in the presidential elections, supported by Pro Romania and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), Mircea Diaconu, drew attention on Thursday that the president of Romania is not the one who decides the prime minister. 

Diaconu said, during a meeting with the Botosani electorate, that the prime minister is decided "by the political game", and the head of state is the "one who lends weight" through the oath of office taken before him. 

"The prime minister is not decided by the president of Romania. He/she is decided by the political game and especially by the vote of the citizens. It is from there that a prime minister comes and it is about a party having won the elections taking responsibility. (...) That is signaled to the president, who is obliged to detect a possible majority in good faith and, only after this solid majority in good faith exists, it indicates who should be prime minister, he [the president]designates him/her, they make the government and the governing program," said Diaconu. 

He compared the appointment of the prime minister with a marriage, in which the civil status officer does not choose one of the spouses, but only confirms their decision. 

"The president does not make this appointment. He gives weight, through the final act, to the oath and so on. Just like in a marriage. The civil status officer does not choose your wife. You choose her yourself and you come to him, and he, with his authority, says: 'From now on you are husband and wife'," added the candidate Mircea Diaconu.