Premium
President Klaus Iohannis resumed on Thursday a statement he had previously made about the position of some politicians in the context of the pandemic and stressed that his statement, which he says has been taken out of context, did not refer to patients or possible patients, but to public figures who have access to information, but are trying to manipulate public opinion.
"I want to refer to a statement that I made a little while before and already some have taken it out of context and are trying to use it. If anyone, by that statement of mine, felt harmed, I apologize publicly. I didn't mean people who are patients or possibly patients, either. I didn't mean people who didn't have information, I wanted to draw attention to the danger of manipulation, because in the discussion I had with you it was about people who are informed, who know the data about the epidemic and I find it inadmissible that a public person who knows the data of the problem should try to take the actions of the authorities, the people's worries in ridicule. I cannot accept that in Romania, where we have had even today very many new patients of COVID-19, where we have over 1,300 people who have died of this disease, some walk through the public space and say that someone has hidden the data, that someone should answer, that we should all relax and that we should get on with it. That's not possible. We should point the finger at these people who know the facts of the matter and try to manipulate public opinion in an inappropriate way so that they may come around, not for anything else," said the president after attending a meeting with representatives of the university community of the University of Bucharest, 30 years after "The Phenomenon of the University Square".
He insisted on being informed from public sources.
"It is important not to believe false information, manipulations and also - very important for everyone - to keep ourselves informed and to deem reliable the public information that is released. Every day all information is publicly released. There is no information other than that we find out daily, at 1 p.m., through press releases. If my words have been misunderstood, I apologize. I didn't want to harm anyone, but I think it is right that I also draw attention to a possible attempt to manipulate public opinion in a rather inappropriate way and for the sole purpose of hunting for a few votes because the elections are coming," Iohannis stressed.
Prior to attending the event, President Klaus Iohannis made a statement about the reactions of some politicians to the measures imposed to limit infections with the novel coronavirus.
"There are some politicians who probably run after votes more than they do after the health of Romanians, who say that we can relax completely and that there is no need for these measures and that the specialists should come with evidence. What kind of evidence are they expecting, other than those that are communicated daily?! 237 new infections [coronavirus - ed. n.] from yesterday to today, over 150 people in intensive care as we speak. We have again, unfortunately, new and new deaths. The epidemic is amongst us. The virus is in the community. Any normal reason tells us to be careful. In front of a disease you are either cautious or stupid, one of two," Iohannis said.
