The Romanian National Conservative Party's (PNCR) presidential candidate, MEP Cristian Terhes, voted on Sunday 'with every Romanian and the fate of Romania in mind.'

'I came today to vote for a president faithful to the Romanian nation, for a strong, secure and prosperous Romania, so that those who left can return, and those who stayed won't leave. I voted with every Romanian and the fate of this wonderful country in mind,' said Terhes after casting his ballot at a polling station at 'Jean Monnet' High School.

According to Terhes, the vote in these presidential election will set a new direction for Romania.

'A new direction - whether we go one way or another - because the next president of Romania will lead the country's destiny for the next five years. I want a Romania that preserves its national values and promotes its national interest,' he added.

He encouraged Romanians to go out and vote. 'In recent days we have seen a campaign pushing the idea of the so-called useful vote. A useful vote is a vote for the candidate you believe in. (...) Voting is a democratic exercise and an expression of national sovereignty. (...) I hope that this time the elections will end well for Romania,' the PNCR candidate said.

'I lived more than 17 years in the diaspora, and I understand Romanians abroad. When you're far from home, you want things to go well in the country so you can come back, because life away from home isn't easy. If you look at the high voter turnout in Western Europe, it's a clear signal that hundreds of thousands of Romanians would return home if conditions were significantly better. This should be a priority for the next president, whoever that may be. The Romanian community abroad must not be ignored, and over the next five years, concrete public policies must be developed to encourage these Romanians to return home,' Terhes concluded. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Livia Popescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)