President takes step back from support to Antena TVs against tax authority

President Klaus Iohannis dismissed on Saturday all speculations on his statement in Intact Group's TV stations case; he insisted his point was just to draw attention on a possible breach of media freedom. 

"While I was negotiating here in Brussels (...) in the public space back home in Romania a concern, a worry emerged about an assertion I made on the possible eviction of a television. I have made that statement Wednesday, because my evaluation back then was that there was a possibility that the action, as considered, impacted the freedom of expression. I thought I needed to point this out. Later, I have found out that my assertion, which only wanted to warn about the possible breaching of media freedom, has been interpreted in many ways, perhaps because it was very succinct," Iohannis said after the European Council meeting. 

The president had qualified as "gung-ho" and "at least inappropriate, if not questionable" the tax authorities' approach to the Intact Group, owner of several televisions. Tax officers served five-day eviction notes to them on Monday, to enforce the confiscation by a court sentence of 2013. While the case stirred political controversies and protests of the concerned TVs, the National Tax Authority pointed out that the five day term was legal, not arbitrary or discriminatory. 

On Saturday, in Brussels, the President further insisted on his trust in the rule of law and denied he was getting closer to the televisions involved; he even obliquely reminded their position against him in the 2014 election campaign. 

"I have no intention, I never had no intention and there is no reason to any intention of mine to defend anyone against the law. I want the law enforced," the President stressed. 

"In the same context, I want to add that I have understood very clearly the message I got via Facebook," Iohannis said - and also wrote on his Facebook page, which lost tens of thousands of 'likes' after his Wednesday's declaration. AGERPRES