Angela Merkel received at Cotroceni Palace

  Angela Merkel, the former German Chancellor, was received on Tuesday at Cotroceni Palace by President Nicusor Dan. Their discussions focused on the international political and security context, European Union solidarity, and the need for European states to assume greater responsibility within NATO."I was delighted to host Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, at Cotroceni Palace today. We had a very good discussion regarding the global political and security landscape. It was very interesting to hear Ms. Merkel's views, grounded in her vast political experience. We focused on the constructive role that a more united European Union can play in international politics, as well as on what Romania and Germany can do together to foster greater European cohesion and a stronger defense posture, with Europeans assuming greater responsibility within NATO," the Head of State wrote on the X platform. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who launched her book "Freedom. Memoirs 1954-2021" at the Romanian Athenaeum on Tuesday, said Romania had achieved a great deal in recent decades and voiced confidence that a compromise could be reached to pave the way for the formation of a government in Romania."Of course, I cannot say anything about this particular issue, except that I hope you will have an elected prime minister again. I can only say that something is happening in our societies in general and through social and digital media, namely that the value of compromise is coming under increasing pressure. There is no region, no party or government that has an absolute majority. And within parties there are all sorts of different ideas and factions. If you are not willing to compromise," Merkel said during a public dialogue with diplomat Emil Hurezeanu, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs.She brought to mind that she is sometimes criticised in Germany for having done many things far too slowly."From an objective point of view, that is certainly true. On the other hand, (...) what does democracy mean? It means that I have to find a majority for my decision. Of course, sometimes that creates a conflict. We have to reform the healthcare system, the tax system and pensions and, at the same time, I have voters whom I want to satisfy and whom I want to please. So there is always pressure to say that we cannot carry out this reform, that one is too fast. Then you also have populist parties that criticise whatever you do anyway and do not have to provide any arguments. I am not talking about Romania now, but about Germany. We are having discussions about pensions in Germany, with pensions set at 48% of the last salary, while the AfD, the populist party, says 70%. But they are never asked where the money is supposed to come from. People say, 'Well, money is being spent on so many other things, so why shouldn't it be possible?' And now the middle of society, the centre of society, has to be strong enough to take this difficult path towards finding a compromise. And you must not make an individual decision at government level. You cannot go out and say, 'If I had been on my own, I would have made a different decision,' saying that 'the ideal situation would have been different,' because you do not convince people that way. Citizens want to know: OK, this is how we acted as a government and I am not going to start bad-mouthing my partner tomorrow. We can say, 'Quite simply, it was not possible to do more. This is what you chose and now, step by step, we have to see how we move forward.' And whoever gets angry every day 'will not achieve good results,'" the former Chancellor said, according to the official translation.Angela Merkel believes that "digital media receive a great deal of attention when you talk about something that is not working.""And I can only hope that in Romania there are enough people who respect the other parties enough to come together, because we cannot have elections twice a year. Elections are the result of what citizens think. They do not simply come out of nowhere. And Romania has achieved a great deal in recent decades. Perhaps not everything at the desired pace, but there are issues that need to be addressed and we need people who are willing to compromise. (...) I believe you have a few. I wish you all the best," the former Chancellor stressed.   Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday also expressed confidence that democracy and freedom can continue to guarantee a good and secure future, while saying that more will have to be spent on defence.Merkel launched her memoir, "Freedom: Memoirs 1954-2021", at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest during a public conversation with diplomat and former Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu."First of all, I would ask him what political system he believes guarantees freedom, in other words, what political system he believes is safer, and I would discuss that system with him. The question many young people are asking today is understandable. If we look back, the Cold War was bad, but there was a certain security because there was nuclear deterrence. Weapons were not used after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We had this extraordinary movement towards freedom in Europe in 1990, and we believed we would gain security and freedom. Suddenly, people, young people, are now talking about drones, about dangers. The Americans are no longer on our side, so there are a number of threats, and it is perfectly normal for them to ask these questions: 'Can you still offer us this promise of security? Can you still offer us the same security that you or your parents had?' And I continue to believe that democracy is an appropriate form for these values," Merkel said, according to the official translation.She was responding to a question from the audience about concerns that democracy and freedom may no longer be able to guarantee a good and secure future.The former chancellor stressed, however, that "we will have to spend more on defence than we have for many years".Other topics discussed included the decision at NATO's Bucharest summit to postpone a firm invitation for Ukraine to join the Alliance, Germany's relationship with Russia over Russian gas imports and the war in Ukraine. Merkel said she admired "President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's courage in standing up to the Russians"."President Joe Biden offered President Zelenskyy the opportunity to leave Ukraine and receive asylum in America. But President Zelenskyy stayed, and if he had not done so, the sovereign and independent Ukraine that exists today would no longer exist. And he decided to fight," Merkel said.Asked by Hurezeanu whether she had been approached about becoming Germany's next federal president or whether anyone had considered proposing her as "Europe's chief diplomatic envoy in relations with Putin", Merkel said that such talks should be conducted by those who currently hold political power."Putin (...) respects only those who have political power. So the people who talk to him must have political power. Those who bear political responsibility today are the ones who must hold talks with Putin," Merkel said.As for the possibility of becoming Germany's federal president, she dismissed the idea."The part about the federal presidency... That is absurd. I don't want to concern myself with that. I spent 30 years in politics, 16 years as federal chancellor. I enjoyed it very much, although it was very hard, very difficult work. I enjoyed it, but now I am very happy that I can do something else with my life. There are many other wonderful things, as those of you here in the audience who are not politicians know. There are many wonderful things to do in life," Merkel said.The volume *Freedom: Memories 1954-2021* was launched internationally in 2024 in over 30 countries, and Bucharest is among the few destinations worldwide that Angela Merkel chose to visit in person, alongside key capitals such as Berlin, Washington, Budapest, and Athens.