My Fellow Romanians,

You are going to be called upon to exercise a right fundamental and essential to any democracy: the election of your country's leaders for the coming years. It never has been my role or the role of my illustrious predecessors to intervene in the electoral process. Romania has always been a Constitutional Monarchy. However, I would not be faithful to my pledge as king, made sixty years ago, if I didn't share with you my thoughts at this time.

Contrary to speculations which have appeared in the press, I never have endorsed and do not now endorse individuals or political parties in the election. Personalities are important in any democracy: if our leaders are competent and incorruptible, surely this will make a great difference in the way the country will be governed. Yet equally important is the issue of principles, of the values we wish to promote and which I would like to see triumph in this election. Thus, let us rise above the clamor of the election campaigns and think for a moment about the principles we wish to promote.

First of all is the act of voting itself. Our ancestors who died for the independence of Romania two centuries ago fought for the fundamental right of Romanians to determine the future of their nation for themselves. The soldiers my grandfather led to victory in 1918 fought to extend this right to their fellow countrymen in the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires. Furthermore, those who filled the streets in December 1989 to overturn the communist dictatorship asked for nothing more than the right of free choice. You owe it to all these people to vote this month. I realize than not voting also constitutes a political act, but given the fragile condition of our political system, failure to vote will be interpreted as a lack of belief in democracy. Thus, no matter what your opinions may be, I call upon everyone to go vote, producing the highest possible turnout. Let's show the world in general and Europe in particular that we continue to be believers in the actions that form the basis of democracy. There is no alternative to democracy in our country, but democracy cannot exist without your active participation.

I cannot justify certain actions of our politicians. In the years since the collapse of communism, I have criticized many of their decisions, both privately and in public. I know that most of you have lost your faith in political parties, but political parties are an essential element of democracy. The solution is not to reject an entire system but to look at the reasons we have had all these failures and to look for remedies. I'm certain that those who win the elections, whomever they may be, will have a mandate to carry out Constitutional reform. Our houses of parliament do not function as they should. Laws are not passed quickly enough, forcing the government to conduct its business through emergency orders. Moreover, the division of responsibilities among the various branches of government is not carried out as it should be. Any party which is seriously prepared to solve the Constitutional problems, imposed hastily "from above" immediately after the fall of communism, deserves your support. On the other hand, if politicians tell you they could make the present system work if they were elected, they should be viewed with skepticism.

It doesn't matter what you've been told during the election campaign. You must keep one thing in mind: Romania has no chance unless it is accepted into the European Union and into NATO. That is not possible without serious economic reform, without respect for the right to private property, without the restitution of everything stolen by the communists, and without the protection of human rights. Nobody is asking for the application of solutions invented in other countries. The European Union we are going to join is a union of many countries, each with its own characteristics. But they all share common principles and understand rights that have to be respected. The affirmation that a miraculous way can be found to create a free market economy while maintaining a controlled state-run economy doesn't deserve our attention. Politicians who broadcast messages of hate against foreigners or ethnic minorities don't deserve your respect. The future does not belong to those people, no matter how appealing their message might appear.

My Fellow Romanians,

Every election has its own historical significance, but this election is more important than many others. In the next four years, Europe is going to be restructured. Some new countries are going to be invited to join the European Union, and NATO will be enlarged again. If you keep this perspective in mind when you vote, you will guarantee a chance for our country to be integrated into these institutions. However, if you succumb to the temptations presented by some political discourse, if you listen to certain populist slogans, you will punish all of Romania. Please remember that there are no written guarantees of our integration into these institutions. Europe does not owe it to us. We have to win it for ourselves. What we do within our own country is for our own good, not for the good of foreigners. When you go to vote, keep in mind the choices you have before you in this election. Vote your conscience, but do so with a sense of your larger responsibility. My family and I will keep our faith in this election, and we will continue to serve our country.

Whoever is chosen this month will have my support so long as they further the major interests of Romania. But those who work against these interests, whomever these people may be, will face my constant opposition. When it is a question of the historical interests of our country, when it is a question of the stability of our future, I never have remained silent, and I have no intention of changing that in the future.

Mihai
18 November 2000

Translated from Romanian by:
Dr. Roy K. Bird and Mrs. Corina Bird

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