Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. Iohannis , on EU leadership positions: Not possible...

Iohannis , on EU leadership positions: Not possible for any member state to be ignored, marginalized, uninvolved

July 18, 2024

 President Klaus Iohannis declared, on Wednesday, in connection with the leadership positions in the European institutions, that it must be negotiated in such a way that "all states feel involved, empowered and served according to the national interest", noting that "it is not possible that any member state be ignored, marginalized or uninvolved" in these negotiations."It is a well-known fact that on Monday evening there was an informal meeting of the heads of state and government in the European Council and we discussed the result of the elections, about possible solutions to occupy the leadership positions in the European institutions. It was an informal meeting and that's why I won't give details about these discussions, but allow me some considerations related to what, in my opinion, should be the result. We have the European Union, a very successful project and, in my opinion, a great future project if we manage this correct future, in line with the expectations of European citizens and in such a way that we count in the world equation, in the global equation. So, what should we see? Since they are political negotiations, they are complicated, because the architecture of the Union is complex," stated Klaus Iohannis, after the meeting with the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.He added that "the European Union is a union of states, not of parties".Iohannis pointed out that political families in the EU have a weight in the negotiation of functions, but "these families cannot suppress the right of the member states to be involved and decide"."We must have a fair, subtle and negotiated balance. That is if we are talking about how to reach a conclusion. But let's not forget the European citizen. Europeans have expectations from the European institutions and these expectations have not always been met. In my opinion, there is too much distance between the voter and the leadership of the European institutions, (...) between the voter and Brussels (...) It would be desirable and important for the future of the Union that these two get closer, that is, the European should find himself in the European policies, and the European politician should listen better to what the Europeans want," the president also said, giving the farmers' situation as an example."We have had, and I think we will have, extensive protests by European farmers, because certain areas have been regulated that the farmers do not resonate with. They feel threatened in their very existence, their farms, their families. These protests took place in the year of grace 2024, even though the respective regulations are from the year 2020. And then I also asked, publicly, I did not receive any answer, but I also ask here: how could something concerning millions of Romanian farmers, they were not discussed until, four years later, they went out on the streets and protested. It is clear that the communication here was not optimal. This is just one example, there are more," said the head of state.According to president Iohannis, the European institutions must be led by correctly elected persons, who are highly respected, "on whom no doubt can hover or, as they say in our country, they must be clean as a whistle."Klaus Iohannis mentioned that the package of nominations for positions must be "impeccable, strong, of maximum trust, negotiated in blood".Asked if Romania was treated correctly in these negotiations, considering that he asked for a better representation of Eastern Europe in these positions, the president said: "This is one of the relevant criteria and I was glad that not only I emphasized the importance of geographical balance, as we call it, so this is not a problem and Romania is treated correctly. I made sure of this".    

Read in full - click here
Southern Romania: Construction site unveils human settlements dating from Neolithic period

Archaeologists from the Buzău County Museum, in southern Romania, have discovered 31 human settlements on the construction site of a wind farm. The region where the settlements were discovered was chosen for a new wind farm because of its favorable meteorological conditions, and annual tests were conducted as early as 2010. Construction work began in […]

Romania has highest unemployment rate in Europe among youth

Romania has become the EU country with the highest unemployment rate among young people under 25 (26.3%), according to official Eurostat data published in December 2024 and analyzed by the Social Monitor, a project of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Romania.  Thus, Romania surpassed states such as Spain and Greece, where youth unemployment has always been […]

TikTok reports on intense fraudulent activity related to elections in Romania

In its half-year report for the second half of 2024, TikTok said it blocked 33,000 spam accounts in Romania and nearly 100,000 fake accounts. It highlighted its intense activity in blocking fraudulent activity related to Romania, particularly during the electoral campaign, indirectly admitting the...

Moldova's president Maia Sandu points to capital flowing to Romania

Moldovan president Maia Sandu has acknowledged that some local entrepreneurs are transferring capital to Romania due to its stability as a European Union and NATO member state. Speaking about the country's economic stagnation in 2024, when GDP grew by only 0.1%, and the technical recession in the second half of the year, Sandu highlighted concerns […]

Aurora Energy Research sees double-digit IRR for energy storage projects in Romania

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are set to become a central component of Romania's power system, according to Oxford-based Aurora Energy Research, whose analysts see investments in Romania's BESS  totaling several gigawatts of capacity and several billion euros over the next decade.  Aurora pointed to both the opportunities and the risks and uncertainties associated with […]

Romania’s insurance market up 11% y/y in 2024

Romania’s insurance market grew by 11% year-on-year in 2024, reaching a total gross written premium volume of RON 23.4bn (EUR 4.7bn), according to a report published on 1 April by the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF). General insurance accounted for 81% of total underwritings, while life insurance represented 19%. The total value of insurance premiums for […]