President Klaus Iohannis was ordered today a RON 5,000 fine by the Board of Directors of the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD) for the offense of discrimination and ethnicity/nationality-based violation of the right to dignity.

The sanction comes for the President's statements in the context of the tacit adoption, on April 23, by the Chamber of Deputies of the bill on the Szeklerland autonomy.

On April 29, in remarks at the Cotroceni Palace, Klaus Iohannis said: "Jo napot kivanok [good afternoon in Hungarian], PSD. It is incredible, dear Romanians, what is happening in the Romanian Parliament. PSD has helped UDMR to pass through the Chamber of Deputies a law that gives wide autonomy to the Szeklerland. It is incredible where we have arrived with this PSD. It is incredible what agreements are made in Parliament. While I, we, the government, the other authorities are fighting for the lives of Romanians, battling to get rid of this pandemic, the great PSD is fighting in the secret offices of Parliament to give Transylvania away to the Hungarians. Jo napot, Ciolacu! What has the leader of Budapest, Viktor Orban, promised you in exchange for this agreement? You see, my fellow nationals, that's what a toxic majority, the toxic PSD majority means. Therefore, my dear ones, it is now better understood why I wanted early elections. I no longer want the important problems of the nation to be decided by PSD. I no longer want this toxic PSD majority to decide against Romania and against Romanians. That is inadmissible and as long as I am the President of Romania, such a law will not exist. Thank you."

According to CNCD, this statement represents an act of discrimination and violates the right to dignity on the basis of ethnic/national affiliation, according to Art. 2 paragraph (1) and Art. 15 of the Government's Ordinance No. 137/2000, republished.

6 Board members voted to acknowledge the deed, and 5 for the fine. CNCD also determined that the public statements of the President and of the government regarding the provision of support only for a particular category of citizens who return to Romania do not represent discrimination, according to Art. 2 paragraph (1) and Art. 15 of the Government's Ordinance No. 137/2000, republished. The decision was adopted by unanimous vote. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu, EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Rodica State)