Crin Antonescu, validated as presidential candidate by Social-democrats

 Crin Antonescu, who was validated as presidential candidate on Sunday, at the Palace of Parliament, at the extraordinary congress of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), declared that he will be a strong president not by violating the Constitution, "not by abusively interpreting it", but through commitment, attitude, dedication and partnership."I believe that, as far as the president and his relationship with political parties are concerned, with a political party, the first, as you are, a few things need to be clarified. I will be a strong president not by violating the Constitution, not by abusively interpreting it or by betraying its spirit, not by intrigues with special, secret, discreet services, not by interfering or influencing justice, which has been one of the great misfortunes of the last two decades in Romania. (...) I will be a president through commitment, attitude, dedication and partnership. There is nothing (...) that the president can do alone and there is nothing, if the president is dedicated, there is nothing for which the president does not feel directly or indirectly responsible. For you, for the other democratic parties, in power or in opposition in Romania, but also for other important institutions of the Romanian society, my motto or my message, in short, is: Partner always, never accomplice!," said Crin Antonescu.He pointed out that the big stake will be after the presidential elections."We need to defend ourselves and respect our status as a country of the EU, of NATO, of the strategic partnership with the United States (...). ) I believe that the great battle, which I hope we will fight together, is not only this electoral one, which is not easy, the great battle begins after that, because we are not living in easy times, because we have major turbulences in international relations, in the structures, as we know them, of international life, in world politics, and we also have some things to solve inside," Antonescu said.    He added that he is entering the presidential race based on the conviction "not that [political] parties are wonderful," but on the opinion that the disappearance of the parties, promoted in the speech and exhortation of the "false icon bearing false miracles," directly means the disappearance of democracy, pluralism, the disappearance of freedom."It is a great honour for me to be with you today, to be in front of you and to be, each according to his own measure, associated in a mission that we assume, aware of what it means, of its importance and urgency. For almost two months, we have been living at the peak of a general dissatisfaction and even hysteria against what is called an indistinct system, against parties, against politicians, against politics, that is, in fact, whether they know it or not, the people who fuel this against democracy and freedom. The parties and, certainly, the parties that in these 30-35 years have assumed the burden of governance have done both good and bad, these parties seem to be, for many people, the great evil of Romania. Well, I am here and I have answered your call and I come with all confidence in this role that you are conferring on me, if you will do it, starting from the conviction not that the parties are wonderful, not that "the parties did not disappoint, because they did not disappoint me as a citizen, but from the opinion that we all have a choice between the discourse and the exhortation of the false icon bearing false miracles that quietly and slightly cheerfully announces to us that the parties will disappear and my belief and desire that this will not happen. Because the disappearance of the parties directly means the disappearance of democracy, the disappearance of pluralism, the disappearance of freedom," stated Crin Antonescu.