On the 9th of April from the gardens of the Elisabeta Palace, I announced my intention to be a candidate for the Romanian Presidency. My message today is more relevant than the one in April, for it is the result of a unique experience.
I decided to stand for the Presidency of Romania about a half a year ago. Today, I know that a “Different Romania” is possible, and that people believe in it. The 12% of Romanians who would vote for me are a priceless source of Good. They embraced the idea of respect for the State and of professionalism in public life, by their own will and choice. 12% of convinced Romanians are more powerful than 35% cheated, constrained or self serving Romanians.
How do things stand today? The political left is in the Presidential pocket. Those on the right chose to ignore the project of The Royal House, believing that they would thus obtain political profit in the short term. This is a repetition of the mistake made in 1997. Normally, the effort to heal the Institutions of the Romanian State should unite the business community, civil society and the media around my project. It did not happen this way. However, today, 12% of Romanians believe differently.
The Romanian intellectuals, those who are anonymous and numerous, will receive a new dose of humiliation. However, those who have ears to hear know that today we can hope for a “Different Romania”.
After an enthusiastic and tireless effort, I announce my withdrawal from the race for the Presidency, with regret, but with hope for the future.
From now on, the presidential campaign will not be an electoral competition, but a fight between cliques.
The President-politician, whoever that may be, will act to the detriment of the Romanian State, to the advantage of his party and in the interest of economic groups. The majority of the people with power in Romania treat the public institutions and the Romanian State as a personal belonging. The current President started the privatization of the Romanian State. The next President will continue this process.
Your Majesty, you waited for more than 60 years for Europe, then for Romania to come to reason. The blessing you gave me to be a candidate is the most beautiful sign of trust I have ever received. Through it you gave me a chance to be indeed useful to my country. I am afraid that you must still wait; the “Tenants of History” are still in their place, immovable.
The Romania of 2010 will be a connected country, with 12 million people who surf the Internet. A country in which hundreds of thousands of young people do not understand what the subjugation of ideological and national identity means, or the reality of the activities of the Securitate, nor the buying of brainpower. With millions of Romanians who work in Western Europe and have escaped from the vicious circle of personal power in Bucharest.
The profound Romania of today knows about my Presidential project and the majority has the feeling that we need a different country, a different State, and different institutions, ethics and professionalism.
Princess Margarita and I invite all of you who believe that Romania deserves a respectable State, professional institutions, pride and ethics, to build our “Different Romania” in the years to come.
Prince Radu of Romania
Elisabeta Palace, September 2nd 2009
Prince Radu of Romania was a guest speaker at the Nanovic Institute for European Studies in February 23, 2006.