National Liberal Party (PNL) Chairman Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday that if he wins the presidential elections, he would not choose Marcel Ciolacu as prime minister, pointing out that the latter supports progressive taxation and that Romania is not ready.

He also said that the PNL has five names of possible prime ministers from within the party, mentioning that he cannot nominate the general mayor of the capital, Nicusor Dan, as he has not joined the party.

Asked, in a Digi 24 private television show, whom he will nominate as prime minister if he becomes president of Romania, Nicolae Ciuca replied: „We have at least five names from the National Liberal Party.”

„It will be a prime minister who will support the business environment, who will be a partner of the business environment, who will focus on everything that means digitisation, reduction of bureaucracy, reduction of the tax burden. Romanians need to trust,” Ciuca said.

In the context, asked if he would put PSD President Marcel Ciolacu as Prime Minister, the PNL leader said, „Well, Marcel Ciolacu talks about the progressive quota, how can we give him a mandate when he talks about the progressive quota?.”

Asked if he would not nominate Marcel Ciolacu as prime minister under any circumstance, Nicolae Ciuca answered that he would not.

„Indeed, developed countries have progressive tax. Romania has not reached that level. Romania needs five, seven, 10 years from now to consolidate its middle class,” Nicolae Ciuca explained.

Regarding the criticism that Social Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu addressed to the PNL government, Ciuca said that when he was a prime minister, he did nothing but work and bring money into the country, in EU funds and foreign direct investments.

AGERPRES