President Iohannis: Romania needs to overcome its cultural paradoxes

President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday stated that "Romania needs to overcome its cultural paradoxes," and the specialists in the cultural field must establish the priorities and the concrete objectives for the modernisation of the national culture infrastructure, and give a real content to the multiannual funding of these objectives.

"Romania needs to overcome its cultural paradoxes that have, unfortunately, defined it in the past decades: on the one hand, the successful artists who became famous all over the world, the poets and novelists praised at the international book fairs, and on the other hand an imbalanced cultural consumption and insufficient and non-performing funds. Romanian culture deserves to have functional infrastructure, a stable administrative framework and an evenly distributed human resources in the territory. I expect the specialists in the cultural field to establish as soon as possible what are their concrete priorities and objectives for the modernisation of the national cultural infrastructure and to give real content to the multiannual funding of these objectives, including by using European funds.

He also claimed the conservation of the cultural patrimony will represent one of the national security objectives, with a strategy being needed in the medium and long run in the culture and national patrimony field.

"The authors' rights and unrestricted access to culture have constantly been at the core of my concerns. They remain important pillars of my action and in the new mandate, I will continue to be considered among our national security interests. The preservation and capitalisation of our cultural heritage will be among the national security objectives. This placement of the fundamental cultural rights among the most important interests and objectives of our nation will have to be strengthened by a medium and long term strategy for the national culture and cultural heritage. I will support such an approach based on sustainable solutions with all my constitutional prerogatives," said Iohannis, at the event dedicated to the National Culture Day organised at the Romanian Athenaeum.

He maintained that the national heritage, creativity and the diversity of cultural expressions are among the strategic resources of normal Romania and that they can be capitalised on far better than before.

According to the head of state, the Romanian culture and heritage give substance to Europe's unity in diversity and contribute to the viability of the European project. Iohannis specified that he will follow within the European Council the transposition of the commitment from the Strategic Agenda of the European Union for the period 2019-2024, which states that "we will invest in culture and our cultural heritage, which is the basis of our European identity."

"170 years ago, the genius of universal poetry, Mihai Eminescu, was born in Ipotesti. The day of his birth, which our great poet gave, as an arch over time, to the national culture, is a reason for our cohesion, a precious opportunity of consensus and solidarity," said Iohannis.

He congratulated all those who enriched in 2019 "the endowment of Romanian spirituality", recalling events such as the Romania-France Cultural Season, Europalia, the "George Enescu" International Festival.

"I express our nation's respect for the contribution of culture to the modernisation and Europeanisation of Romania. Culture has played a fundamental role in the most important historical process of the Romanian society of the last two centuries," Iohannis said.

The event is attended by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, ministers of his Cabinet, former president Emil Constantinescu, representatives of the cults and the diplomatic corps, presidential advisers, the president of the Romanian Academy, MPs.