Romanian President Traian Basescu recently said, during a TV show, that he has never been offended by the comments related to his physical appearance. “Why should I feel offended? This type of attack doesn't bother me,” said the Romanian President.

He explained that he has a “congenital paresis” to his left eye, a broken muscle that affects the position of the eye. However, this does not affect his vision.

The president recently said he will withdraw from politics after completing his current presidential mandate and would not consider a role in any future Government. “Being a president brought the biggest humiliations of my life.  What has happened since 2007, the daily insults, has humiliated me. I have compensated for everything by doing my job,” he said. “I have had enough,” he went on.

Basescu was formerly a merchant ship captain. In the 80s he captained the oil tanker 'Biruinţa,' which was the largest ship in Romania's commercial fleet at the time. He was the Bucharest mayor before becoming a president. He ruled out taking a role in the Romanian Government in the future, if given this option after ending his presidential mandate.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com