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Throne Hall, Royal Palace, Bucharest,
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
My husband and I are delighted to welcome you to the Royal Palace. This is a place which, in one shape or another, has been the centre of Romanian national life for well over a century of our nation’s modern existence.
The tradition of the yearly reception of the Diplomatic Corps goes back to the days of King Carol I in the 19th century and was revived by the late King Michael, my beloved father, after the fall of the communist dictatorship. My husband and I particularly appreciate your attendance; I know that – how shall I put it diplomatically? – you have had some other preoccupations over the past few days!
We are gathered here this evening to mark the end of 2024, a year with more than its fair share of tragedies. In Europe, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has continued unabated, with more missiles, gliding bombs and other barbaric weapons being rained upon our neighbours.
I am proud that my country remained steadfast in its support for Ukraine and increased its military and humanitarian assistance. Romania remains determined to contribute more than its fair share to our collective security. And I am encouraged by the latest steps the European Union took to enhance our foreign and military policy coordination.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is not the role of the Romanian Crown to comment on political matters. Nevertheless, it has always been the mission of the Crown to protect and promote our national interests. In this spirit, I would like to make a few observations about the current controversies affecting my country.
You hardly need me to remind you that what we have witnessed in Romania during the latest electoral cycle is not unique. Elections in many countries over the past few years have been dominated by heated disputes about procedures, doubts about the accuracy of the results, large swings of voters away from established political parties and, currently, a global wave of voting against incumbent administrations. In this respect, Romania is hardly an anomaly; on the contrary, it just confirms a pattern among democracies.
There are, however, three troubling elements that require our urgent attention.
The first is the tendency of some of our public figures to cast doubts on the benefits Romania derives from its membership in the EU and NATO. Of course, questions such as how these two organisations function and how they could operate better are legitimate political discussion topics. Yet what I find bizarre is the idea that, somehow, Romania can pick and choose how much or how little it gets involved in such institutions or the argument put by some people that Romania may even do better being outside these institutions altogether.
Let me be very clear on this. At no point in its modern existence has Romania enjoyed a higher level of security and better conditions for economic prosperity than it does now as a full member of both the EU and NATO. Anyone who argues that we could somehow do better by becoming the so called “difficult child” inside either NATO or the EU simply does not understand how these organisations work. And any politician who suggests that Romania could somehow prosper outside these institutions is merely condemning our nation to poverty and servitude.
During the 1990s, and after, I spent many years accompanying my father from one Western capital to another to persuade governments and public opinion that Romania belonged to the Western family of nations and deserved to be treated as an equal partner. We succeeded even though, for a long time, success did not look very likely. We should not allow the enormous achievement of Romania’s integration to be denigrated or endangered. I hope we can continue to uphold a national consensus on this point.
The second troubling development is growing evidence of foreign interference in our electoral process. Again, this is a broader phenomenon, not only confined to Romania. I welcome the European Union’s initiatives to tighten the regulations on social media platforms during electoral periods. We – all governments of democratic countries – must get better at preventing such destabilisation measures well before they occur. What we suffered in Romania over the recent few months is what our Moldovan brothers and sisters were subjected to for years, so we could have learnt from them and been more rapid and efficient in our responses.
I must also point out that one of the most significant destabilisation operations conducted by foreign agents in Europe aims to discredit the very process of elections by sowing doubts about our democratic procedures. So, it is crucial that our electoral processes are as transparent as possible and that we refute untruths the moment they are invented. We should not ignore those who offer simplistic solutions wrapped in ludicrous conspiracy theories; we should challenge them head-on.
Finally, I hope our public authorities see this current cycle of elections for what it is: a cri de coeur, a passionate cry from the heart of voters who feel ignored and neglected by our current political system. Yes, our national aggregate economic development has been fast. But it has also been very uneven. We have a Rolls Royce showroom in Bucharest, but poverty in our countryside. We have well-paid professionals who travel the world. And half-empty villages where pensioners can barely afford their daily food. We invest in wireless technologies. However, we have the lowest spending on healthcare in the EU.
Let us treat the latest elections as a wake-up call. All countries whose economies grow fast generate inequalities. The task now is to reduce such disparities by investing more in social services and developing specific social and economic inclusion policies. This means that all of us should spend less time in our Bucharest offices, isolated from the daily lives of our people. And it also means that we must engage differently with our large diaspora. It is no longer sufficient just to offer them free consular services and forget about them until we come asking for their votes a week or so before elections.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I do not wish to leave you with the impression that I am pessimistic about our nation – quite the contrary. Our country remains strong. Its institutions are questioned, but they are functioning. Our economy remains attractive to investors. Our country will remain true to its alliances. And our people will fully – and finally – benefit from the Schengen arrangements.
I also look forward with confidence to Romania’s cooperation with the new United States administration. We have just signed a procurement contract for new fighter jets, one of the biggest-ever procurement orders. And we anticipate successfully completing the visa-free agreement with the United States.
For me, a most heartening moments of this year was to see how much Romanians were affected and were willing to offer assistance when the Republic of Moldova was facing severe political strains early in the year and the subsequent will of Moldova to provide moral support when we recently encountered electoral tensions. Similar challenges affected both countries equally. Genuine bonds are tested in crises, and our bonds across the River Prut remain truest.
I wish to conclude by thanking you for your work in Romania. It is fashionable to claim that embassies and diplomats are no longer required in this digital age and that everything can be done remotely and online. You serve as proof that there is no substitute for human contact, for being here and knowing our country.
Romania remains strong and determined to be even stronger as a partner and friend to your nation.
Thank you.
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