“An electoral concern for some,” Romanian president reacts in villa scandal

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said that the Bucharest villa being developed by state authorities in secrecy is “an electoral concern for some.” He also said that he had not asked for it.

The president’s comment comes after independent investigative journalists at Recorder unveiled that state authorities are developing a villa in central Bucharest in secrecy. They posited that the villa would be made available to the current president, after the end of his mandate.

Asked if he would accept to live in the villa on Aviatorilor 86, the president said that he found out about it on the news. “It is an electoral concern for some. It is not a current issue. I have not requested a residence for when the time comes. Nor has it been offered to me,” Iohannis said, cited by G4Media.

According to investigations by G4Media and Recorder, a building on Aviatorilor Boulevard in Bucharest is undergoing extensive work, with contractors hired by the state constantly present at the location. The nearly 1,300 sqm building is to become, eventually, the official residence of Klaus Iohannis after his mandate, according to the journalists. The two media channels reported that the price of the contract, paid by RAAPPS, would be EUR 7 (Recorder) and EUR 9 million (G4Media.ro).

Following these articles, the Presidential Administration denied that Iohannis had filed a request to receive this luxury property.

(Photo source: presidency.ro)