The head of state reminded that Romania was hit by the economic crisis in 2009 and that although its negative effects were felt, the country was able to handle it. Basescu urged Romanians to express solidarity with their country. He wished a Happy New Year to all Romanian citizens, irrespective of nationality, and to the Romanian military at home and on missions in Afghanistan and the Western Balkans.

In his turn, Prime Minister Emil Boc assured Romanians that the Bucharest Government would do their best to serve the citizens’ interest. The PM proposed his fellow Romanians a partnership that should help the country recover. “A country with active and intelligent citizens is a country that has no reason to be afraid of what the future might bring,” Emil Boc said. He also conveyed a solidarity message to the Romanians living outside the country borders.

The former head of state, King Michael I, mentioned in his message to Romanians, the worries caused by the current economic crisis, but pointed out that a competent administration would help the country recover. On the other hand, King Michael spoke about the negative effects of cynicism, vested interests and cowardice and warned that the world would lose confidence in Romania if its citizens abandoned their sense of duty, their courage and altruism. King Michael promised that, together with his family, he would get deeply involved in the country’s public life in 2010 as well, in an attempt to build a better future for Romanians.