President Iohannis asks the Gov’t to add up economic strategies, policies

President Klaus Iohannis called on the Government to add up its economic policies and update them with the European standards under the current circumstances, while hailing the Executive’s initiative to put forward a project on Romania’s economic development.

“The strong Romania we want to build means capitalizing on our competitive advantages, and we don’t talk only about the economy, but also about Romania’s country opportunities in the region and Europe. In this respect, I am urging the Government to round up its economic strategies and policies with the European dimensions required at the moment,” Iohannis told the launch event of the strategic document “Competitive Romania: a project for sustainable economic growth” on Tuesday.

The head of state argued that Romania currently needs a new model for economic development.

“We all know that all kind of strategies have been drafted in Romania, but many of them were left in the drawers, mainly at the government level; and I am referring now to more than a list of economic measures, I mean actions that can draft a strategy, a pattern for development that Romania is forced to consider now,” said Iohannis.

He reminded that on Monday agreement had been reached over work on a post-EU accession country project for Romania.

“In terms of economy, we need a sound, long-term vision that will generate sustainable prosperity for Romanians. Let us not forget the painful lesson of the recent crisis namely that once gained, prosperity is easy to lose. That is why we need sustainable economic growth, for which we have to consolidate confidence in economic organizations and policies, so that what we build may last,” the President pointed out.

Iohannis added that Romania needs “a responsible, realistic ruling, consistency on reforms, transparency, disconnecting the clientage from the public money by cutting off corruption and reducing the administration red tape”. He also said that the country project should also encompass the rethink of the state-citizen relation.

In his turn, PM Dacian Ciolos said Romania needs a political agreement for a competitiveness strategy, some agreed priorities so that their completion should not be affected by the electoral cycles.

“Firstly we want a final document that should reflect Romanians and Romania’s interests on medium and long-term, a set of priorities that had to reach consensus so that their completion should not be affected by the electoral cycles. We need a political agreement for Romania’s competitiveness strategy,” PM Ciolos told participants.