Yohannis: Europe faced a massive wave of disinformation that allowed a resurgence of hyper-nationalism.

“Russia has flagrantly violated international law and seriously threatened our democratic system. Russia’s war is an attack on our shared values ​​and principles, but this crisis, the worst since the end of World War II, has strengthened our resolve for unity and security. During the Fourth Summit of the Council of Europe in Iceland President of Romania Klaus Iohannis announced.

“Democracies are united in support of Ukraine and its citizens. At the same time, we are united in support of all those who are fighting for freedom, for democracy, against intimidation, dictatorship and tyranny. In recent years, our continent has faced many challenges. Starting with the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, restrictions have become inevitable. , but with a huge wave of misinformation, allowed a resurgence of high nationalism”, explained the Head of State at the summit he co-chaired. With the Prime Minister – Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, round table with the theme “Preserving Democracy in Challenging Times – Risks, Resilience and Re-engagement”.

“Democratic values, civic space, freedom of the press, diversity and liberal democracy are all under pressure on the European continent,” Klaus Iohannis added.

“Hate speech, especially on social media platforms, misinformation, manipulation, violence against journalists, and negative impacts are just a few examples of the consequences of these crises across Europe. Investing in making democracy more resilient and better is more important than ever. To protect our fundamental rights, and for long-term peace and to build stability and ultimately ensure prosperity for all. Organizing a summit of the Council of Europe, a strong promoter and defender of democracy, human rights and the rule of law on our continent, is crucial”, stressed Iohannis at the summit.

President Klaus Iohannis will participate in the fourth summit of the Council of Europe under Iceland’s Presidency on 16-17 May 2023 in Reykjavik, Iceland. At the end of the summit, the Reykjavík Declaration will be adopted, which reaffirms the specific role of the Council of Europe in multilateral architecture at the European and international level, the Presidential Administration announces. On this occasion, the establishment of an international registry of damages caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine will be announced, in which Romania will participate as a constituent country.

Organized under the slogan “United around our values ​​/ United for Europe”, the fourth edition of this high-level meeting underlines the role of the Council of Europe in the current geopolitical environment marked by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Democracy, human rights and the rule of law are among the first international institutions to act with affirmative action, namely by excluding the Russian Federation from member states, the presidential administration announces.

Author: Bianca Cyrilla