President Klaus Iohannis would ‘seriously consider’ the job of NATO Secretary-General if it were offered to him.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the leader said he’d “evaluate it very seriously.”
Ukraine
„If such a proposal were made, I would evaluate it very seriously and make a public statement,” Iohannis said, responding to months of speculation.
His name was first mooted for the post in February before Russia invaded Ukraine when it looked like current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg would step down.
Apart from Iohannis, alliance sources said former British Prime Minister Theresa May, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutter, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and former EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini were being considered as possible candidates for the role, German news agency DPA reported.
Security
The former mayor of Sibiu was elected president in 2014 and won re-election in 2019 for a five-year mandate.
The 63-year-old leader has played a key role in bolstering Romania’s security in recent years, even more so after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Romania shares a long border with Ukraine.
The centrist Romanian president isalso a strong supporter of the European Union and Romania’s role in the 26-member bloc and he may be offered a job in Brussels once his term ends.
Western leaders see him as one of the region’s most reliable leaders.
Coalition
In the hour-long press conference he praised the governing coalition, a grouping of the Social Democrats and Liberals and a small Hungarian group, which raised eyebrows when it was formed last November.
„They have been working together for several months, and I can say that they have done their job well, are involved and solved many problems. Obviously, there will be many problems in the future, but the signs are good,” he said.
The president declined to comment on a court decision to clear Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca of accusations that he plagiarized his doctoral thesis.
Plagiarism
„Press freedom and an independent justice system are basic elements in a democracy. I believe in them.”
„If you are expecting me to comment on a court ruling, I’ve never done so so far, and I won’t now.”
