17 apr. 2003

Biroul Reprezentantului Special al Guvernului pentru Integrare, Cooperare si Dezvoltare Durabila
Palatul Elisabeta

Buletin de presa – 17 aprilie 2003
Serile Palatului Elisabeta, 17 aprilie 2003

Joi 17 aprilie la ora 19 a avut loc a doua editie a Serilor Palatului Elisabeta, in prezenta Familiei Regale a Romaniei.

Majestatea Sa Regele Mihai si AS Principele Radu au prezentat urmatoarele alocutiuni:

Doamnelor si Domnilor,

M-am adresat voua in multe ocazii, dar aceasta seara este ceva mai putin obisnuit. Pentru prima oara va adresez bun-venit la Serile Palatului Elisabeta, o initiativa a Familiei mele de a invita impreuna membrii societatii civile, ai mass-media, ai institutiilor internationale si ai tuturor domeniilor ne-politice ale vietii romanesti care isi aduc aportul la integrarea europeana a Romaniei si la desavarsirea modernizarii tarii noastre.

Rostul acestor seri este de a arata ca integrarea europeana nu e un subiect politic care priveste un grup restrans de oameni ce exercita puterea, ci o aspiratie naturala, geografica si istorica, culturala chiar, a fiecaruia dintre noi.

I have addressed you over many times, either from Romania or from exile. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the second Evening of Elisabeth Palace, which is my Family?s initiative to put together representatives of civil society, mass-media, international institutions, and of all those who take part in the process of integration of Romania into the European Union.

The invitation which NATO extended to our country will, of course, have little immediate effect on the condition of our economy, and on the day-to-day problems which so many Romanians face. Nevertheless, it is important to remember just how significant this NATO gesture is. For over a century, the West looked upon our region as more of a disease, rather than just a geographic area of Europe.

Europe now accepts that we are part of the same family, with the same rights and obligations. It is our right not only to be consulted, but actually to take part in shaping the future of our continent. Our younger generation will soon view this arrangement as perfectly normal and natural. But you will understand that, for someone like me, who had to stand up for Romania’s
rights and freedoms against the most terrible dictatorships history ever invented, the year 2002 has been the culmination of many of my dreams.

The European Union will be open to us by 2007. Foreign investors, who may have hesitated in the past from coming, know today that Romania will be part of a bigger European economic area, as well as remaining a full member of a bigger community of Western countries sharing the same democratic values. I have pledged myself to continue to work for the benefit of you all. And
it is a considerable source of personal satisfaction to me that members of my Family are now devoting all their time to the same effort.

Thank you for your presence here tonight.

AS Principele Radu

Doamnelor si Domnilor,

Este o placere sa va intalnim a doua oara, dupa doua luni, la Serile Palatului Elisabeta. Serile noastre reunesc si vor reuni pe cei ce poarta, in mod natural, pe umerii lor exceptionala raspundere de a face Romania prospera, conectata si integrata valorilor democratiilor occidentale.

Se gasesc alaturi de dumneavoastra, in aceasta sala, diplomati, personalitati culturale si artistice, conducatori de organizatii neguvernamentale, somitati stiintifice sau din domeniul educatiei, oameni de afaceri, reprezentanti ai unor inalte institutii internationale cu reprezentare la Bucuresti, personalitati din domeniul mass-media si din publicistica, artisti si scriitori, in general, oameni de cultura si arta. Serile acestea sunt ale lor. Invitati la serile Palatului sunt, insa, si reprezentanti ai puterii politice, Administratia Prezidentiala, Parlament si Guvern.

We believe that supporting Romania?s aspirations is a common aim to all of us: civil society, international civil servants, media, political class and Royal Family. It is our right, but also our responsibility and above all, our pleasure, to meet together and to informally exchange views, opinions, satisfaction or fear, in this delicate but so fascinating experience.

Last meeting, HRH The Princess Margarita told you something about her foundation. An Annual Report was presented to you and it is still at your disposal with any information, as well as the entire team of the Foundation, present here tonight. I would like to tell you now something about an other non-governmental initiative of our Family, the Association for Sustainable Development of the Royal Domain and Community of Savarsin Village. We want the royal estate to have a lasting development, at the same pace with the community. We have set up the Association, which has started to function under the leadership of HRH Princess Margarita of Romania. The twinning of Savarsin commune with the Moliere commune in France was accomplished on Wednesday, February 12, this year, in the presence of a French delegation. We would like to create, with the help of eminent experts, a climate which is favourable to ethnography, folk traditions, crafts, rural tourism. We want to attract investors for this area, but not at the risk of destroying the beauty of the place. We would like the estate to be a place for cultural encounters, exhibitions,
festivals, scientific congresses. Many of them have already taken place. We organise specific celebrations for every Christmas and Easter. On Saint Ilie we will be at the Romanesti monastery. We want to help the high-school of Savarsin to become a professional school and have partners in France and Luxembourg. All these things take time, however, and we all have to be patient and generous.

Notre determination de parler de l’integration europeenne, dans un autre cadre que celui politique, trouve son origine dans le constat que parfois, l’opinion publique identifie la demarche europeenne un interet exclusivement politique, ce qui est la fois inexact et incomplet. Notre devoir est de stimuler les contacts entre differentes parts de la societes civile et de tous ceux qui sont membres de la grande communaute citoyenne qu’est la nation.

Permettez-moi de vous faire part d’une experience que j’ai vecue personnellement: la fin de l’an 2002 j’ai visite la France (capitale et regions) et l’attitude des medias, tout comme celle de l’opinion denotaient de l’inquietude, du scepticisme, de la retenue envers l’elargissement de l’UE. Je suis alle dans les villages du Pays Beaumontois et j’ai propose aux communautes locales une collaboration innocente, genereuse, fructueuse avec des communautes similaires de la Transylvanie, en tant que representant des autorites roumaines et de la Famille Royale. Le resultat – Les gens sont litteralement sortis dans la rue, genereux et heureux d’une telle possibilite. Ils ont offert tout ce qu’ils avaient de meilleur, tout leur savoir, tout ce qu’ils croyaient et revaient pour construire ce pont imaginaire entre le Pays Beaumontois et la Transylvanie. Et le soir, regarder le Journal, rien ne les empechait de redevenir eurosceptiques et inquiets pour l’agriculture de l’union de demain.

La reunification de l’Europe est un acte historique et geographique, non pas electoral. C’est un besoin identitaire, une question de destin, non pas un objectif politique. Elle se fait d’homme, de village, de ville, de region , de profession .