President Iohannis: We’re not ready to take over the presidency of the Council of the EU because of the Dragnea-Dancila Gov’t, this accident of Romanian democracy. Dragnea on President’s statements: Each with their obsessions. Iohannis is doing a disservice to the country

President Klaus Iohannis stated on Monday that Romania is not ready to take over the Council of the European Union, considering that the responsible Government agents are being replaced or are leaving and “things have gone haywire.” “I must point out a great worry I have, even though it does not concern you directly. It’s about 2019, the year when Romania takes over the presidency of the Council of the EU, an extremely honouring and demanding position, especially for the Government. I believe we’re not ready for this. Several weeks ago, I said we’ll live up to it reasonably, it’s just that things have gone haywire in the meantime, it’s no longer clear at the Government who the responsible persons are, the persons who should deal with this are resigning or are being dismissed from office. I believe that even now, at the last moment, the political need is to replace the Dragnea-Dancila Government, this accident of Romanian democracy. There is no outlook for good governance and involvement in European affairs. These things are very grave,” Klaus Iohannis stated at the meeting of the General Assembly of the Association of Romanian Municipalities, referring to the resignation of European Affairs Delegate Minister Victor Negrescu. The resignation comes less than two months before Romania is set to take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Victor Negrescu was responsible with Romania preparing and exercising the rotational presidency of the Council of the EU.   President: The fiscal hopping of the latest Governments bodes ill   Klaus Iohannis stated that the fiscal hopping of the latest Governments is “not only of poor taste, but it also bodes ill,” saying that the hope lies with local authorities. “Unfortunately, things are not moving very well everywhere. Regardless of how good a mayor is, they are not alone in the space in which they activate, they must interact with those from County Councils, but also from the centre. Dissatisfactions usually appear because the mayors want to move, but the Governments seem more reticent. This reticence is frustrating. The decentralisation, to recall only some of the promises left on paper. It was promised, it wasn’t done. The second issue, which is always topical – money. Not only you weren’t given a larger base but, on the contrary, the so-called tax reform was recently carried out. A big trick which apparently gave Romanians more money but in fact it didn’t, and all local communities lost. (…) The policy toward local communities should be made transparent, predictable, and should be sustainable. The fiscal hopping of the latest Governments is not only of poor taste, but it also bodes ill,” Klaus Iohannis stated at the General Assembly of Romanian Municipalities. The Head of State says that the cities’ chance to develop resides precisely in their mayors. “There is an enormous chance for Romania, you and your colleague mayors from the rest of the administrative territorial units are this chance. Romania is transforming, and you must be the side that induces changes that the citizen feels directly. I know your achievements and I can tell you that they are impressive. Things are moving very fast and very well. You recall I visited localities in which you activate, and I usually expressed a positive opinion. Being at the heart of events you sometimes don’t realise how things are moving or how they are being done, but coming from the outside it’s visible that they are moving very well,” the President added.   Dragnea on President’s statements: Each with their obsessions. Iohannis is doing a disservice to the country   Referring to the alarm signal issued by President Klaus Iohannis, according to which Romania is not ready to take over the presidency of the Council of the EU, PSD President Liviu Dragnea stated on Monday that he is doing a big disservice to the country. “Each with their obsessions. Klaus Iohannis has had this obsession since the night of December 2016. Of course. There is already an ever-growing number of Romanians who no longer allow themselves to be fooled by Iohannis’s lies. He has lied to us for the past two years, that there’s no longer money for pensions, that we will overshoot the deficit target of 3 percent. Only alarmist lies and what we took upon ourselves through the governance programme has been achieved. This is what’s going to happen from now on too. The Government is ready to successfully manage the presidency of the Council of the EU. Iohannis is doing a disservice to Romania, because he is trying to induce the idea that the Government of his country is not ready for this presidency. This is unspeakable,” Liviu Dragnea stated.

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