UPDATE, BIO, REACTION - Liberal Eduard Hellvig, MEP nominated Intelligence Service director

President Klaus Iohannis nominated Eduard Helvig of the National Liberal Party as director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI).

Photo credit: (c) GRIGORE POPESCU / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Hellvig is currently a member of the European Parliament.

'Secret services were left lately without directors ? both SRI [the Romanian Intelligence Service] and SIE [the Foreign Intelligence Service], for different reasons. Over the past weeks, because of some evolutions in the political life and in the public environment, SRI has been under public scrutiny many times. I have considered that during the current period SRI needs a complete team to bring the necessary calm there. Therefore, I have decided to make a nomination for the SRI Director position. Tonight, I have signed the letter to the chairpersons of the two chambers of the Parliament, and I have nominated Mr. Eduard Raul Hellvig as Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service,' Iohannis said on Thursday at the Cotroceni Palace, the Presidential Administration seat.

He mentioned talks with the parliamentary parties and with the two chairpersons of the Parliament's chambers earlier in the day, to inform them on his intention.

The President explained his choice as follows: 'When I have considered a person to nominate at the SRI, I looked for someone who was prepared for this position, who had the necessary energy, who knows the political actors, who possesses sufficient knowledge about SRI's activity and who could bring the necessary calm. On the other hand, I was looking for someone who represented for me the guarantee of a modernization and Europeanization process at the SRI, too. The Service gained a lot in terms of public image over the past years; it had remarkable results and...