EU leaders hold uplifting speeches in Bucharest as Romania takes over EU presidency

The European Union’s leaders came to Bucharest and tried to motivate Romania to be a good example for Europe as the country officially took over the presidency of the European Council. The official ceremony took place at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest on Thursday evening, January 10. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council president Donald Tusk and European Parliament president Antonio Tajani held uplifting speeches in front of a large audience at the Athenaeum, which included Romania’s political leaders, European Commission officials, ambassadors and other special guests. They spoke about the need for unity both in Romania and in Europe. Tusk held his whole speech in Romanian and quoted Romanian poets and philosophers. “I count on the energy and unity of the whole Romanian nation, and that all its political forces and institutions do and decide what needs to be done and decided in the coming months,” Juncker said. “Romania and Europe, Europe and Romania, these are two things that go together. Vive la Roumanie! Vive L’Europe!” he added at the end of his speech in which he also talked about his support for Romania to become part of Schengen and about the need to defend EU values, such as rule of law and democracy. (Full speech, in French, available here).

European Parliament Antonio Tajani also showed his appreciation for Romania and the Romanian people and appealed to the member states that have been blocking Romania and Bulgaria from joining the Schengen area to reconsider their positions. “Romania must have a central role in building the new Europe,” he said and ended his speech with a saying from Romania’s folklore: “where there’s one, there’s no strength, where there are two, the strength is growing”. (Full speech translated in English here)

The evening’s best speech, however, was that of European Council president Donald Tusk, who spoke only in Romanian and mentioned Romania’s famous artists and athletes as examples the country should follow. “I am sure that you will be performing your own 'Romanian Rhapsody' with energy and wisdom during these six months. I’m sure that your presidency will be as energetic, Romanian and European as George Enescu’s music,” Tusk said. “You will be the hosts of Europe and I strongly believe that you will take the proverb, a good farmer makes a good farm (omul sfinteste locul), seriously. I also believe that you will play by the rules,” he added.