President Iohannis: 'Romania is a democratic state where law rules; I am determined to keep these values'

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday told a plenary session of the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg that there is a political debate in Romania, but he did not provide further details, saying he is determined to remain involved in guaranteeing the Romanians that democratic values, rules and the principles of the rule of law are preserved, and in continuing a very tough but just fight against corruption.

"In December 1989, we, Romanians, decided that we no longer tolerate the communist dictatorship and we ousted it. Since then, we have been building a democracy that we, the Romanians, want, based on what is called European democratic values, the values of the EU. For almost 30 years, Romania has changed, it has changed profoundly, it is a country in Eastern Europe that still believes in European democracy. Romania is a growing economy that is a pole of stability in its geographical region, a country aspiring to leadership in areas such as those we have mentioned; Romania is a country appreciated and responsible for the security it delivers in the region, inside NATO and elsewhere. We, the Romanians, have long understood that we cannot remain security receivers, but we have to take on a much harder role in which we believe - of a security provider and that is what we are doing. Romania is a democratic law where law rules. There is a political debate in Romania, and also a very lively democracy. I do not want to go into the details of the domestic debate in Romania, but I can assure you that I am determined to remain involved in guaranteeing the Romanians that democratic values, rules and the principles of the rule of law are preserved, and in continuing a very tough but just fight against corruption, " Iohannis told the European Parliament. 

He added that there are several problems in Europe, with one of them being the connection between citizens and politicians, showing that the connection is often weak. 

"Citizens do not understand what politicians do, and unfortunately, some politicians do not understand what citizens want. In Romania, the citizens have clearly said what they want, and I, elected by a significant number of Romanians, understood that they want to continue this message that we used when we started a democratic Romania, a European Romania, a Romania deeply integrated with the EU, a Romania that preserves the state of law intact and that fights, and I have to say with notable results, against corruption. It is true that there are controversies, but tell me what parliamentary democracy would be without controversy; I am determined for European Romania, democratic Romania to win this fight and I will get involved for this thing," said Iohannis.

AGERPRES