Romania just elected a new president — and while the country is buzzing about voter turnout and centrist comebacks, queer folks are left wondering where exactly Nicușor Dan stands on LGBTQ+ rights. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot of fence-sitting, with a dash of “let’s not talk about it.”
The former mayor of Bucharest, Dan beat far-right, pro-Trump rival George Simion with about 54% of the vote. His win marks the highest voter turnout Romania’s seen in a quarter-century, and while the political center sighs in relief, LGBTQ Romanians aren’t popping champagne just yet.
See, Dan’s track record is a masterclass in calculated ambiguity. Back in 2017, he quit his own party over its stance on same-sex marriage — which sounds like a bold move, until you find out he didn’t even vote on the issue in parliament. In a press conference at the time, he said: “The worst thing that could happen in Romania now is that the main debate would not be about who steals and who doesn’t, but about who defends traditions and who doesn’t.” Translation: let’s not talk gay, let’s talk corruption.
Fast forward to 2018, and Dan tells the media he voted in a failed referendum to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage — but won’t say how he voted. When pressed, he declared, “I define myself as a technocrat… I have not defined myself on one side or the other.” He doesn’t want to be called conservative or progressive. He wants to be a blank canvas for your projections. Cute for a dating profile, but not for LGBTQ rights.
Then came March of this year. Dan, now flirting with higher office, tells Pro TV that civil partnerships are for “society to figure out,” and that politicians like him should merely “mediate.” He acknowledges the legal gaps faced by unmarried couples — gay or straight — in situations like hospital visits and inheritance. But his message to queer couples wanting legal recognition? Basically: talk amongst yourselves.
This kind of non-answer leadership is exactly what keeps Romania in limbo. While LGBTQ folks wait on real protections, real visibility, and real rights, Dan’s comfortable playing moderator to a national game of “let’s agree to disagree.” For a country trying to position itself as a modern EU player, it’s giving serious 2005 energy.
And here’s the thing: LGBTQ rights shouldn’t be a philosophical debate for society to chew on indefinitely. They’re human rights — and politicians who claim to be neutral are often just trying to avoid losing votes. For the LGBTQ community in Romania, especially young queer people looking for signs of hope, Dan’s reluctance to pick a side reads loud and clear: you’re still a political inconvenience.
Romania doesn’t need a president who acts like same-sex couples are just another policy nuisance to be managed in a town hall. It needs leadership that actually champions inclusion. Otherwise, it’s just another suit dodging the question — and the queer community deserves better than “technocratic.”