On Sunday, at the opening of the 20th Francophonie Summit, Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni welcomed President Nicușor Dan in Phnom Penh. Calea Europeană reports that the president is there to support and promote Dacian Cioloș’s candidacy for secretary-general for 2027–2030. The meeting runs in the Cambodian capital on 15 and 16 November.

In a Facebook message reported by Calea Europeană, Dan said: “A candidacy for the highest post in a major international organisation is a gain for our country, because it profiles us on the world stage as a nation ready to take on ever more substantial contributions to the great international projects.” Mediafax carries the same post, including the reception by the king.

In the same message, the president added that “Dacian Cioloș proposes a credible and ambitious vision for relaunching and developing the Francophone community, and his project would allow Romania to strengthen its influence in the French-speaking space, consolidate its relations with the member states and obtain benefits in several areas of interest.”

The summit brings together heads of state and government from the 53 full member countries of the International Organisation of La Francophonie. The theme, in the wording quoted by Calea Europeană, is “Réinvestir dans la paix pour une prospérité partagée et une stabilité durable” — “Reinvesting in peace for shared prosperity and lasting stability”. For Romania, the main stake is building a consensus around Cioloș. The choice of secretary-general for 2027–2030 is due on 16 November.

Before the summit, Calea Europeană notes that the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which it calls the most important Francophone space in demographic terms, said on Saturday that it would agree to withdraw its own candidacy in support of Cioloș, and that he welcomed the African state’s position. France 24, which followed the closed-door meeting of foreign ministers, quotes Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner: Kinshasa said it was ready to withdraw the Congolese candidate to make room for a consensus and willing to examine a joint step in favour of Cioloș.

France 24 writes that four names are officially in the race: Louise Mushikiwabo, secretary-general since 2018 and a candidate for a third term, Juliana Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dacian Cioloș and Coumba Ba of Mauritania. Rwanda’s foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said Mushikiwabo’s candidacy remains. Digi24 reports Cioloș’s thanks to the Democratic Republic of the Congo “for the confidence given to my political vision for the future of the Francophonie”, and the foreign ministry’s point that the Congolese opening rests on the other candidates showing the same flexibility.

Image: Wikimedia Commons — the Chanchhaya Pavilion at the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, 17 February 2016 (Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0). The photo is not from Sunday’s reception on 15 November 2026.

Sources consulted: Nicușor Dan at the Francophonie Summit in Cambodia — Calea Europeană; Nicușor Dan attends the Francophonie summit in Cambodia — Mediafax; DR Congo ready to back the Romanian Francophonie candidate — France 24; Cioloș thanks the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Digi24.