President Klaus Iohannis on Saturday took the oath of service for his second term in office, in front of the plenary sitting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
“I swear to invest all my strength and skills for the spiritual and material prosperity of the Romanian nation, to respect the Constitution and the laws of the country, to defend democracy, the fundamental rights and liberties of the citizens, the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Romania. So help me God,” said Iohannis in Parliament.
The President of the Constitutional Court, Valer Dorneanu, presented the Decision regarding the validation of the election of the President of Romania, with the head of state then taking the oath of service.
The president of the sitting read the Statement of Parliament on the swearing-in ceremony next.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, blessed the investiture of the President of Romania. In closing the ceremony, the head of the state sent a message to the joint chambers of Parliament.
Among the participants in the ceremony were: Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, ministers, judges from the Constitutional Court, the former President of Romania, Emil Constantinescu, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Margareta, Prince Radu, representatives of the religious cults, the heads of SPP (Protection and Guard Service), STS (Special Telecommunications Service), SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service) and SIE (Foreign Intelligence Service). Moreover, among the guests were also: the President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, Corina Corbu, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Daniel Petrescu, the President of the Court of Accounts, Mihai Busuioc, the President of the Legislative Council, Dragos Iliescu, the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest.
I am very excited to start my second tenure
President Klaus Iohannis on Saturday stated he is very excited to start his second term in office as the head of the state and gave assurance he will be the President of all Romanians.
“I am very excited to take over today for the second time as President of Romania. I am deeply honoured by the trust the people placed in me and I accept today this huge responsibility with gratitude and with hope in Romania’s future,and I want to thank our fellow citizens for their understanding of the fact that the vote is the essence of democracy and the strongest instrument at hand in showing the path we want for our country. (…) I will invest all my strength and skills in the next five years in trying to develop Romania, as I strongly believe that the destiny of Romanians relies in the great creative force of our people. I fully understand my constitutional responsibilities and I assure you that I will be the President of all Romanians,” Iohannis told the two chambers of Parliament, which gathered in a plenary sitting especially for his swearing-in ceremony, for a second term in office.
He added that, within the limits of his constitutional prerogatives, he will make everything in his power to build “the European Romania, the modern and strong Romania, so that the dream of many generations for which Romanians built barricades in December 1989 and the project for which they took to the streets many time to becomes reality.”
The head of state reminded that the achievement of the Greater Union of 1918 also meant a call for unity.
“History teaches us many lessons, but maybe one of the most important of them is that, when we are dealing with difficulties that seem impossible to overcome, we must not lose hope. We must not just blame others. We must not deny our responsibilities. On the contrary, we must unite our forces and energies, as our ancestors did, because only united we can succeed!,” said Iohannis, while showing that there was no great national goal that did not require sacrifices, solidarity or the involvement of most Romanians.
The head of the state also showed that, three decades after the Revolution of December 1989, although the progresses made by the country are visible, “the achievements of the past 30 years don’t seem to be enough, as they don’t reach the level of expectations of the society and they look disappointing compared to the real potential of the country.”
“We must leave behind, once and forever, the slough of the endless transition period. Too many generations were already sacrificed! People are fed up, and they are right to be, of so many changes without result, which did not generate the desired results. We cannot afford to lose precious chances, valuable opportunities and a very precious time! So this is the moment of a new stage in Romania’s development,” he said.
“My main goal is to build a prosperous, safe country and a functional state”
Iohannis on Saturday stated his main goal is to build a prosperous, safe country, and a functional state.
“My main goal is to build a prosperous, safe country, and a functional state, with strong democratic institutions, where the law is the same for all. A strong voice in Europe and in the world, a country that promotes its values and identity and protects its resources. A state where Government works responsibly to the benefit of all citizens and Parliament legislates well and efficiently. In other words, a normal Romania, the project with which million of Romanians identify and which they supported so determinedly,” said Iohannis in Parliament, on the occasion of his taking oath of service for a second tenure.
He showed that the basic principle of this ample approach to transform Romania is that the state, through its institutions, is in the service of the citizens.
“It’s imperative we restore people’s trust in the public authorities, which trust has been severely shaken. And we cannot achieve this without a serious assessment and without a proper reorganisation of the public institutions. All the state institutions will have to go through a rigorous process of modernization to truly answer to the needs of the society and the general interest,” stated Iohannis.
The head of the state underscored he will remain a strong supporter of the idea of creating a culture of public service integrity, based on an immovable set of ethical values and principles. The head of state added he will continue to support without hesitation the anti-corruption fight, and that he will use all his constitutional prerogatives to defend justice independence and the rule of law.
“Justice independence is an indispensable condition of true democracy, a guarantee that the human rights and liberties are respected. And I will continue during my second term in office with the same determination to work for the citizens to feel they can trust the state again,” said Iohannis.
He also said legislation needs to be systematized and simplified, which requires a maximum responsibility of the authorities, in order to eliminate “the risk of Romania becoming a state blocked in bureaucratic and legislative chaos that is impossible to solve.”
President Iohannis pointed out he wanted coherent legislation to fit the reality, to be easy to understand and apply, “freed of any form of toxic populism.”
The President also said he was determined to see the “Educated Romania” project put into practice, while mentioning the efficient functioning of the great public systems is essential.
“Sufficient and secured incomes for our pensioners, clean hospitals and well-equipped schools, with physicians and teachers, fairly paid for their work, performance, modern infrastructure, all these shouldn’t be the exception from now on, but the normality in Romania. In order to ensure the necessary economic growth to support these public systems, encourage the business environment and support it through sound governmental policies are vital,” said Iohannis.
The head of state showed he will encourage even more the development of the car industry, energy infrastructure, technological sector, communications sector and agriculture
“Normal Romania is a country that protects its citizens. I will continue to see that this goal is achieved, by continuing the successful commitments we made in our external and security policy, based on three pillars: the strengthening of Romania’s role in the EU and NATO, the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the United States of America,” said Iohannis.
He said he was certain that the influence and international profile of Romania will grow, and our state’s involvement in the European Union decision-making process to the benefit of all Romanian citizens will be more consistent.
“All these major lines of actions shape the project of normal Romania. I know what we have to do and I will be sure to be joined by the authentic democratic political forces, so that this vision of mine becomes the everyday reality of each Romania. We have the premises today for the President, Parliament and Government to work for the same country objectives. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the real development of Romania and we have the duty not to waste it! So let’s be loyal in answering to the expectations of millions of Romanians!,” said the head of state.
President Iohannis stated he is committed to take the work of reconstruction of Romania and bring together all the responsible factors.
“Dear Romanians everywhere, we miss you too, and we wait for you at home”
The head of state said that he is waiting for Romanians everywhere to come “home.”
“Dear Romanians everywhere, we also miss you, and we wait for you at home. No matter if we live inside the borders or outside, we all dream of the same Romania in our hearts, we all dream of a prosperous and safe country, to warmly welcome all its citizens. Your devotion and involvement are priceless and we will continue to count on you in the future, and your valuable contribution,” said Iohannis in Parliament, at the plenary sitting of the Chamber and Deputies and Senate, during which he took the oath of service for his second term in office.
Source: Agerpres
