Romanian President defends SPP chief reportedly involved in repression of 1989 anti-communist protests

Asked about the head of the body that is securing protection services to dignitaries (SPP), revealed by investigative platform Recorder as actively involved in the repression of the 1989 anti-communist protests, Romanian President Nicușor Dan defended SPP chief Lucian Pahonțu. During a press conference in Chisinau on August 27, journalists asked President Dan whether he would dismiss Pahonțu, amid the scandal that topped the public agenda despite the chronic political crisis.

Besides the multiple implications and revelations in the Recorder report (such as the influence of Securitate officers in politics and business 36 years after the fall of communism), the President's reaction highlights the unexpected political trajectory of President Dan. Elected in May 2025 by a combination of a reformist electorate and voters concerned about the rise of far-right extremists, Nicusor Dan has consistently disappointed his electoral base, mainly by the concessions he has made to hardline Social Democrats who oppose any reform. After failing to clarify the cancellation of the presidential elections in December 2024, failing to address, as promised, the deep problems in justice, and undermining the reformist cabinet of Ilie Bolojan (PNL) – ignoring the Pahonțu case is another, bigger, step along a trajectory that diverges from that of its initial electoral base, heading towards a still unclear destination.