In a press statement at Cotroceni Palace on Monday after the first partial results of the EP elections and referendum have been released, President Klaus Iohannis stated that Romanians had given a tough lesson to populism and anti-European speech, while also referring to the PNL’s “historical vote”, but also to the “remarkable score” obtained by USR-PLUS Alliance 2020 and saying the two can lay the groundwork for an alternative to PSD.
“Over 6 million Romanians said YES to the referendum and thus they gave a tough lesson to populism, demagogy and anti-European speech. An European, democratic Romania has won yesterday, where justice is and must remain independent, where thieves and criminals are staying behind bars, not at the top of the state,” Iohannis stated.
He called on authorities again to take urgent measures on Diaspora vote, arguing the Romanians living abroad “have been subject to humiliation”.
“The pro-European overwhelming vote makes Romania rank among the first European states that endorse the European project”.
“If we talk about the EP elections and the parties, it’s remarkable that PNL has won a historical vote and I congratulate them for this. PNL has won the EP elections and is thus on the verge of becoming the most important political party in Romania. I also hail the vote for other parties”, the head of state pointed out, also praising the USR-PLUS score and suggesting a potential collaboration with the Liberals.
“If we add the votes, we realize that PNL together with USR-PLUS can lay the groundwork for a collaboration to come up as an alternative to PSD. And PSD has got the toughest sanction for the disastrous way of its ruling. PSD was right to fear the Romanians’ vote, but, fortunately, it cannot prevent that vote, despite boycott”, Iohannis added.