President Dan: Appointing intelligence chiefs as hard as forming government
Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- President Nicușor Dan stated that appointing heads of intelligence services is as difficult as forming a new government, requiring a parliamentary majority.
- He noted that while the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) aids in foreign policy decisions, the Domestic Intelligence Service (SRI) deals with issues like institutional dysfunction and corruption.
- Dan emphasized that the routine and neglect within certain areas of the services are more concerning than having a civilian head, and he has postponed appointments since the May 2025 presidential elections.
President Nicușor Dan has described the process of appointing heads for Romania's intelligence services as a challenge on par with forming a new government, citing the need for a parliamentary majority.
Speaking at Observator, Dan explained that while the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) assists with external policy, the Domestic Intelligence Service (SRI) is involved in a range of matters, including institutional failures and corruption.
He expressed concern not about the leadership being civilian or military, but about a pervasive routine and neglect within certain service sectors that do not align with real-world demands. Dan has repeatedly postponed decisions on these appointments since the presidential elections in May 2025.
The SRI has been operating with an interim chief, General Răzvan Ionașcu, since Eduard Hellvig resigned two years ago. The task of appointing a new permanent head will fall to President Dan. Meanwhile, the SIE has been led by General Gabriel Vlase for seven years, having been appointed in 2018.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Adevărul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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