Emil Boc, message on Romanian Army Day: “Today we are experiencing the most difficult moments since 1989”

Emil Boc, the mayor of Cluj-Napoca, said on Sunday at a ceremony marking Romanian Armed Forces Day that Romania is going through the most difficult moments since 1989, amid the war in Ukraine and changes to Europe’s security environment.

In his speech at the ceremony, Boc said that “war is once again in Europe,” but stressed that Romania is in the European Union, the space where armed conflict is still being kept outside its borders. He linked this situation to the role of the European project, built after the Second World War as a mechanism for peace and prosperity.

The mayor highlighted the contribution of the Romanian Armed Forces to the country’s current position and to securing the most important security guarantees in Romania’s history. According to Boc, the army’s performance remains essential in a period marked by uncertainty and external threats.

He also recalled the idea of Robert Schuman, one of the European Union’s founding fathers, that it is preferable for disputes to be settled around a table rather than on the battlefield. In conclusion, Boc called for clear-headedness, confidence and cooperation to protect the future of coming generations.