President Klaus Iohannis, whose second mandate as head of state is ending, held a press conference reviewing the ten years in office on December 1 - Romania's National Day. During the conference, Iohannis asked Romanians for forgiveness for the mistakes he had made.

Klaus Iohannis started the conference by highlighting the "Educated Romania" project, strengthening the defense system, as well as the difficult moments Romania has faced.

"After two terms and ten years of having the honor to serve the country, I part from this responsibility with emotion, with gratitude, and with boundless admiration for you, the citizens of our country. For ten years, I had the privilege of representing you. Ten years in which I tried to be a supporter of your ideals and a partner in achieving them," Iohannis said in his speech.

He also paid homage to Romania’s history to mark December 1, the National Day.

“The Romania of the Great Union, modern Romania, a member of the European Union and NATO, was not built in a day, nor through the efforts and sacrifices of a single generation or the efforts of one government or another, but through the commitment, struggle, and work of successive generations, motivated over time by the humanist and democratic vision of our elites,” the president said.

Iohannis also highlighted the more recent successes of Romania: massive investments in infrastructure, modernized public institutions, and significantly strengthened national security in a world marked by increased instability. 

Towards the end of his statements, Klaus Iohannis asked for forgiveness from the citizens of Romania.

"I know I have made mistakes; some choices in which I invested hope and trust did not stand the test of time, and I have disappointed some of you. I ask for forgiveness because, over time, I have made decisions that have dissatisfied you," he declared. 

The president noted that each of his decisions were based on defending democracy: “Time cannot be turned back, but I assure you that at the core of all my efforts and actions was one thing: identifying the best solutions for the security, well-being, and prosperity of Romania and its citizens."

In the context of the ongoing presidential elections, the outgoing Romanian president argued that  “we are facing an existential decision and must choose between, on the one hand, democracy and the fundamental values that have guided us as a modern European nation and, on the other hand, isolationism, extremist mysticism, and hatred of Western pluralism.” 

Also, Klaus Iohannis said that Romania must keep its orientation towards European and North-Atlantic values.

“There are no perfect politicians or messianic personalities who hold miraculous solutions to the problems citizens face. Those who claim to have them will, sooner or later, derail Romania from its deeply democratic path. And this means less freedom for all of us, more suffering, privations, and the loss of rights that are now guaranteed,” he noted.

Klaus Iohannis was often criticized while in office for failing to give interviews to the press and for renting private jets to travel abroad. After campaigning as an opponent of the Social Democratic Party, Iohannis, who was backed by the center-right National Liberal Party, eventually supported an alliance with the former.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)