Iohannis: "University Square" represents a testament we should cherish and respect

President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday that "University Square" represents a "testament that we must cherish and respect." "Today, 30 years since those bloody events, Romania is a rule of law, with a consolidated democracy, profoundly attached to the European and democratic values, and the civil society is categorically stronger and more consolidated. The sacrifices that the thousands of Romanians in the streets have made are the foundation of the free and European society of today, and the spirit of this treasured heritage was reconfirmed in the elections last year. Looking back, I can say without a doubt that 'University Square' represents a testament that we have to cherish and to respect," said the president at a meeting with the representatives of the university community of the University of Bucharest, at the 30 year mark of the "University Square Phenomenon." He claimed that the "University Square Phenomenon" also represented the "catalyst of development and consolidation of civil society, of civic conscience and the discovery of the meaning of liberties." "The so-called 'golaniad' was, in fact, an authentic democracy lesson. Those who responded with extreme violence to some legitimate desires for a new social and political order and for the alignment with Western democracies refused to understand that ideals and aspirations cannot be crushed or annihilated, because they never disappear. This matter, so simple, they have not understood," Iohannis also said. The "Mineriad" case, the president mentioned, represents a major setback of Romanian society and appealed to those who are handling the case to make justice. The president also stressed that the students must know the acts of bravery of the students and professors of the University of Bucharest in June 1990. "The image with the balcony of the University, a rostrum for democracy, will forever remain the symbol of so many meanings that freedom had in those hot summer days, and the youths of 2020 must not forget its meaning," said President Iohannis, who hailed the initiative of launching a website dedicated to the "University Square Phenomenon".AGERPRES(RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Maria Voican)