Deputy PM Barna might run for president if gov't successful

Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna said on Monday in connection with a possible run for President of Romania in 2024 that if the incumbent Government is successful, he will be in a position where this option "will be on the table, otherwise, the chances will be "quite small."

"Let's take things in a natural logic. At the moment, I am a deputy prime minister of the Romanian government and my goal is for this vaccination campaign to be successful and for this government to get Romania out of the pandemic and to put it on a path to growth and economic stability. Depending on the performance of the government, we will also talk about future candidacies, if any. In the short term, this year, we have an incoming convention of the USR PLUS Congress [Save Romania Union - Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party ] where I want to continue," Barna told Digi24 private broadcaster when asked if he intends to run for president.

He said that if the government is not successful, the chances of having a credible candidacy will be "quite small."

"Pragmatically, if this government is successful, I will be in a position where the option will be on the table. If this government and the governance I am part of and my performance are not successful, I say that the chances of having a credible candidacy will be quite low. And then, that's why I say: I don't want to talk about 2024 at this moment, because not only me, we - Romania, the government, the coalition - have two more years ahead in which some important things need to happen for the country, afterwards we will also talk about bids for the presidency of Romania," added Barna.

He also said that he wants to continue as part of the USR PLUS project.