Prime Minister has attended the joint meeting of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, within the extraordinary session convened for the debate of the political, economic and social situation in RomaniaSenators and Deputies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

First, I would like to thank you for the invitation sent. I came here in front of you for the extraordinary session of the Romanian Parliament. It is equally true that we live special, particular times, across the world, in Europe and Romania.
The ruthless economic crisis has affected and affects the life of billions of people. We are practically in the middle of an unprecedented crisis after the Second World War. Nobody knows exactly when this crisis will end or what new forms it will take. It began in 2008 with a housing crisis which turned into a financial and banking crisis and now takes on forms related to sovereign debt crisis of the states and budget deficits.
Today, there is the major risk in the European Union to return to the economic recession. Recently, as you can see, the country rating of at least nine major EU countries has been adversely affected. There has also been affected the rating of the financial mechanism of financial stability. Today, in Europe, important countries of EU are, unfortunately, on the brink of the economic and financial collapse and I say unfortunately because it is a reality. Today, the European Union is seeking extreme and severe solutions to stop the economic crisis, to solve the problem of deficits and sovereign debts of states.
Very briefly, in this context that I said which the situation of Romania is, where is Romania today, economically?
We all know Romania comes after three years of severe economic crisis; Romania comes after three years in which people had to endure harsh austerity measures to save the country from economic collapse.
When we took over government in late 2008, we had to face two major challenges: on the one hand, economic crisis, with effects very few could guess then, on the other hand, an unreformed Romanian state in the last 20 years with many problems. In popular language, I would say the following: when I took over the government and if I make a comparison with a house you take over, the fence was painted outside and looked good, because we had significant growth in 2008 , but when you enter the house, I noticed that is about to collapse because the beams were about to collapse, things were rusty and we were wondering how it resisted.
The explanation was simple. We had serene times. But now, in 2008, the storm came. The question was "What are you doing?". You wait for the storm to come and the house to collapse over us, that is, Romania to sink, economically, or make decisions to make repairs, to put Romania on the wheels? And we were compelled concomitantly- and that was the great weight of Romania - while, on the one hand to take measures to limit the effects of unprecedented economic crisis, to restructure government expenditure, to keep the economy under control, but on the other hand, to reform important areas of the state, such as education, justice, the number of civil servants, labor legislation, wage legislation, social assistance, because, again the storm was to came.

Previously, as it was clear, these things which did not work in Romania, have not been seen so pronounced. On the eve of storm, however, when you are obliged, if you are responsible, to take tough decisions, but that, again, have their medium and long term efficiency.
Today, there is demonstrated that the measures we took were correct. Measures were necessary to save the Romanian economy and save Romania from collapse. Today, Romania is economically stable and it is a fact recognized by all international bodies. I will not present a series of economic data and facts, because this is not my purpose today, but, after two years of economic failure, 2009 and 2010, in 2011 we managed to have economic growth, even more than forecast we had originally. We exited from recession, as a first step towards exiting the economic crisis, but we are still in full crisis, economically. The fact that these economic signs are positive shows that the path was correct. Today, the budget deficit and public debt are under control and are among the lowest in the European Union. Similarly, if we look at inflation or exchange rate, they are balanced and under control.
On the other hand, while in the European Union, important countries – and I said at least nine of them - suffered a downgrade of the country rating, Romania has managed, in this period of time to regain investment status at some rating agencies. How? Through Romanians and Romania’s effort. In other words, today, we are much better prepared to face a possible second wave of the economic crisis than we were in 2008. I said we were completely unprepared before the storm to come. In these years, we built dams against storm. We are better prepared. It does not mean that we are invulnerable. It does not mean that the European crisis cannot further affect us. Yes, it can affect us and it is in our wisdom and maturity of those who represent Romania, at parliamentary or governmental level, to guard Romania against what may be worse in the future, in economic terms. We won this stability, with difficulty, with Romanians’ pain. It is important that it is not compromised and not be lost. Why say that? Because we reached this economic stability, primarily due to Romanians ‘sacrifice and pain, we should thank them every time.
I always did when I had the opportunity. I do it today, in front of you, the gesture to thank them sincerely, Romanians, because they saved Romania, in these years, from economic collapse.

Without their efforts, it would not have been possible. Therefore, the more I understand the dissatisfaction of Romanian citizens. I understand people's frustration. I understand it as Prime Minister, and as man, because I know that when your salary is affected, when your workplace from the budget system or private system is affected, I know that this measure, on a personal level, affects you and your family and it is obvious to be dissatisfied with those leading you. It is hard, very hard to explain that without that bad, it was worse, the alternative was disaster from what we had to face and know how hard it is to explain it to people.
People do not heat with macroeconomic figures. People do not live with macroeconomic indicators. Before talking about the deficit in the house, they talk about maintenance or the bank installment. I know very well these things. But what would have happened if these measures were not taken? Exchange rate probably would have tripled and we ask who would last, as the business environment or people who can pay more to some installments? What would have happened to the Romanian state, if we did not achieve budgetary restructuring? Could Romania withstand one million four hundred thousand public sector employees? It could not resist. Could we, as a state, move forward, as we had in 2008? You may answer sincerely, and any man who analyzes economically the data, can tell us that these measures that we took were correct and, again, primarily Romanians are those who made it possible the safeguard of the country, but I say this: politicians have a responsibility in this economic crisis - and those in Romania, and those from abroad - because they were the ones who led Romania and EU countries, in this threshold of public debts that cannot be accepted, at a level of deficits that cannot be sustained, and politicians should assume responsibility, according to the desire, pain and sufferings of people. They should assume responsibilities too.
Those from the government arch sacrificed their image and votes – from the President of Romania who sacrificed his image, to Prime Minister who assumed alongside President, these measures which cost in image and votes – at each of you from the government arch –who go to territory and are criticized by people, we had image and votes losses, but I assure you it was worthwhile, for the country, and whoever thinks that by profiting from the pain and suffering of people, can easily climb to power, are wrong or at least, this is not moral taking into account this current situation.
I tell the colleagues from the opposition with all sincerity that people are dissatisfied with the austerity measures we took, but equally I want you to know that people are dissatisfied with the entire political class in the last 20 years. These protests have showed it lately. Yes, people are dissatisfied with the austerity measures, but equally with everything related to politics and political class in the last 20 years, and here, it is our common responsibility.
How do we meet as politicians, this challenge?
Do we respond in the same manner of confrontation, hatred, impossibility of communication? Or we learn the lesson that people gave us in the street, the politicians first are obliged to change their behavior. I do not say big words that we have to do with a reinvention of politics, but I sincerely believe that we need another way of doing politics in Romania. A politics that would make and send to the museum of antiques, the arrogance, lack of communication, inability to listen to people.
I assume my mistakes and those of Government. I did not communicate best in these years, but I want you to know that this problem is much deeper, in the Romanian society.
People did not ask in University Square, for Ponta and Antonescu, to come to lead them, because that would have meant that they only had a problem with the leaders of today, of the country. People have a deeper problem, with what means the Romanian political system and each must learn this lesson, from local to national or national to local level, that people are the leaders in democracy that their voice is, ultimately, the one that should lead the destinies of nations expressed institutionally by democratic mechanisms. I repeat, is what happens in the street, beyond dissatisfaction with the austerity measures, a vote of censure against the entire political class, who must learn to change behavior, and, give up arrogance, the lack of communication, the prevalence of personal interests in relation to public interest, things that people ask and I repeat, everyone should learn from this lesson.
What is the most important thing today for Romania? First, I pointed out frankly, dear colleagues - and take it as you think, I said exactly what I thought on the moral component, the reform component of the political class further on. What Romanians, Romanian citizens wait from us today?
I say one thing now: the most important thing for Romania today is to preserve the country's economic stability and external credibility of Romania. These are assets that have been won with the price of Romanians’ suffering; we must not throw away this valuable asset that Romania has today.
Look what happens in Europe. Remember, as important countries in the euro area are on the verge of bankruptcy, you forget with how much difficulty they try to find solutions to achieve economic stability that we gained due to the Romanians. We do not have the right any of us, government or opposition, to sacrifice what Romania has more valuable today: its stability and external credibility.
Therefore, I think we have an obligation to preserve this asset, we talked about. We propose, in 2012, a pact for economic and political stability in Romania. This economic and political stability pact has as fundamental objective, keeping the country's economic stability and external credibility or, in other words, a pact to keep and create jobs, further on, in this country.
This pact has a political component. It's an election year, 2012, we will have elections this autumn. There is almost eight months, up to entering the campaign. Before the election campaign and political interests of some or other, the interest which should unite us all is the national interest, the interest of the country's economic stability.
As parties, we may have different interests, as people who represent Romania; we have to worry about, first, national interest and to preserve what Romanians earned with the suffering in these years: we talk about stability.
I expect from the opposition, as we discussed, proposals for power-opposition economic council dialogue. I want you to know that this government knew and knows what to do, because it was able to bring economic stability to the country, but I admit that it does not have the monopoly of truth, I do not say that our solutions are perfect. We further wait from the opposition, any proposal that may come to maintain and create jobs.
Accountability is the third thing Romanians expect from us. The political class in the last 20 years has focused on two or, better said, one working method: confrontation - some to disappear, others to seize power. I do not think that is one way to do politics, specifically the years that we have to face the economic crisis. We propose to replace confrontation with competition.
Confrontation means hatred, confrontation means "Get you down, so that I can climb to power," confrontation means the political opponent to disappear, so that the other takes his place. Competition is dialogue among ideas, proposals and solutions. People beyond what they say in the market expect from politicians such a behavior.
The transition from confrontation to competition and the best thing that will be best appreciated by people in elections, according to the Constitution, is to lead the destiny of Romania, but based on programs, ideas. I'm not saying that I always do this, since I am in politics, but I recognize that this is the way. If you recognize too, certainly, Romania will benefit. Let us follow competition and not confrontation! Confrontation, again, leads to enmity and hatred, competition leads to solutions for people. Also on this line, of responsibility, I call on USL as colleagues, to give up the proposal that they announced, to ask EU to suspend EU funds for Romania.
European funds belong to the country, not to the USL or power. Romania needs this money, because it deserves it and won it.
I think that when we have national interest in front, there is not good for the opposition, our colleagues in the opposition to try to look for easier way to climb to power, jeopardizing the interests of Romania. Just this year, we have six billion, which we can bring into the country.
Completion of highways or practically completion of projects in every community in this country, in the city, the city depends on the European money. I think we should leave on the one hand hatred that we talked about, to see the interests of the country and here, yes, to have competition, but on projects and not put the interests of the country, in the middle. I hope this will be understood that it benefits people and stop any action that reminds more the Phanariot times, the complaint to the Sublime Porte, on the desire to take leadership of the country, coming from outside. Romania must decide who will govern this country and we have elections this fall, and we must leave the Romanian choose programs, judge us on what we did, to take the best decision.
These days, politicians’ reaction was not always the best and I want you to know, frankly, I regret slippages and verbal clumsiness of some of my colleagues, on the protesters in the streets, and I present, here, from this rostrum of Parliament, public apology for the awkward statements.
I also want you to know that on this line, we decided the removal from office of Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi, and I submitted a proposal to revoke him from office, to Romania's President, for the statements Minister gave. I think it is a time when we can change the course of policy in Romania, from confrontation to competition in the national interest.
I invite you that today, solutions that unite us rather than divides be those leading Romania further on, to what its future is, because we have stability. It depends on us not to jeopardize it.
Thank you!