Klaus Iohannis Quotes

Through my actions, the ones of the parliamentary opposition and through the citizens’ mobilization, Romania succeeded in preserving its pro-European and democratic course and this seems to me the most important achievement of my term.

Since the beginning of my term, my vision for Romania was to build a strong and prosperous country, where the projects we have started are finalized, where the law is the same for everyone, and where people are appreciated and fairly paid for their work. Romanians want the same things as the Germans or any other European citizens do: to live a prosperous and safe life in a country able to provide all the necessary premises to build a good future for themselves and for their children.

We serve our people when working with the United Nations, and each and every citizen needs to see a concrete impact on his or her daily life, and a positive change.

I am very proud of my country, and the two main priorities of my mandate addressed precisely these concerns. The first, to uphold the fight against corruption, to strengthen the rule of law and to preserve the independence of the judiciary. The second, to consolidate Romania’s role within the European Union and to represent our country in the European institutions with dignity. Close to the end of my term now, I can say I have succeeded in fulfilling both of these priorities.

For me, people have always been more important than money. This is why I stressed this principle in my approaches towards the media, but also in the European Council. In some areas we feel the tendency to leave people behind and handle trade our industrial issues.

History has shown us time and again that the spirit of our nation cannot be defeated. Those who now want to divide us and return us to a dark past, which no Romanian wants anymore, will not succeed. And they will not succeed because our strength lies precisely in our unity and in our common belief in freedom and democracy.

Recently we have also witnessed the potential and the challenges of digital technologies. We must ensure meaningful and safe access to the Internet, strengthen cybersecurity and promote responsible behavior in the cyberspace, while addressing the digital spread of hatred and disinformation.

Thirty years after the fall of communism, the democratic and European option is stronger than ever in Romania.

We have advanced the European Agenda in an inclusive manner, with Romania acting as an honest broker and succeeding to achieve impressive results.

We have to explain that we face serious threats to security, that terrorism needs a globally coordinated response, that proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery remain existential threats to global security.

The concept of resilience is an important component of our security, as well as a key factor in protecting democracy.

Therefore, I urge you that in the new year we regain our confidence and not lose hope for a moment that, together, we can keep Romania on its pro-Western path, guided by the fundamental principles and values ​​that define us – justice, freedom and democracy, for which our fellow citizens have paid the ultimate price.

Last, but not least, let me remind us that an international organization is as strong as the political willingness of its member States to make it relevant and fit for the times we are living in. Let us all join efforts to achieve the United Nations’ noble goals!

What the European Union does, from my perspective, is well done and it helps everyone. But as it happens in politics, good news are not news and we do not talk about these aspects.

We also need an integrated and innovative approach to respond simultaneously to a whole range of inter-related challenges, such as health, demographic changes, migration, scarce resources, climate change and biodiversity loss, extreme poverty and hunger.