The attachment to the European project, which represents the very core of President Metsola’s political vision, is also our belief in the future of Romania, declared on Thursday the Minister of Foreign Affairs Emil Hurezeanu, present at the awarding ceremony of the Timisoara Prize for European Values, awarded this year to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

„We have seen that in times of uncertainty and unpredictability, when our democratic beliefs are targeted by malign actions and disinformation, we can rely on friends like President Roberta Metsola to defend and speak out about our common achievements in Europe. I particularly welcome the jury’s decision to choose Roberta Metsola as the laureate of the 2025 edition of the Timisoara Prize for European Values – and what other city in Romania than Timisoara is more suitable to host such a ceremony dedicated to promoting and protecting European values?” said Minister Hurezeanu.

‘Timisoara will always be a symbol of freedom and dignity, the city that placed Romania on the map of democratic states. Those days will always remind us that it takes courage and sacrifice to defend our right to democratic options,’ said Emil Hurezeanu, who recalled the moments in December 1989 when he was an editor at Radio Free Europe in Munich and, together with his colleagues, reported on ‘Timisoara’s fight for our freedom, for the right of Romanians to live in a free and democratic society.’

The Romanian minister welcomed the EP President’s ability to discuss Europe with the general public in a direct manner, ‘with both the mind and the soul’, a valuable skill in a period of ‘disinformation, fake news, alternative facts and polarization, when truth and integrity become valuable commodities’.

According to the head of Romanian diplomacy, the EP President’s commitment was essential in keeping the situation in Ukraine a priority on the European Union’s agenda, and Roberta Metsola’s personal involvement in constantly affirming Romania’s right to be a member of the Schengen area contributed to a positive decision.

Emil Hurezeanu also welcomed the support given by the EP President to the efforts of the Republic of Moldova to join the European Union.

‘We will continue to be stronger together only as long as we continue to support each other and seek common solutions to our problems in our common home, the European Union. (…) I want to assure you that Romania is and will continue to be a country of freedom, of convergence of cultures, just like our host city, Timisoara,’ concluded the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, received the Timisoara Prize for European Values on Thursday, the highest distinction of the municipality, granted to personalities who support fundamental European values. The jury, made up of prominent figures from the Romanian cultural, diplomatic and legal scene, appreciated the EP President’s firm attitude in times of crisis, her unconditional support for Ukraine and Moldova and her constant efforts for Romania’s accession to the Schengen area.

AGERPRES