Romania remains strong, but we need to rethink how our institutions function and offer the Romanian electorate real political solutions, not coalition games, Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, said in a message released on Monday following the election of Nicusor Dan as President of Romania.

'Our country remains strong. Although our institutions have been and will continue to be questioned, they continue to function. Our economy remains attractive to investors. Our country stays loyal to its alliances. Romanians are now fully enjoying the benefits of the Schengen agreements. And our ties across the Prut remain genuine and strong,' said Her Majesty Margareta.

The Custodian of the Crown underlined that, while the Romanian Crown's role is not to utter opinions on political matters, its historic mission has always been to protect and promote national interests.

'What we witnessed during Romania's recent electoral process is not unique. In recent years, elections in many countries have been marked by fierce disputes over procedure, doubts about the legitimacy of the results, and significant shifts in public opinion, with electorates turning away from traditional political parties, as well as a global wave of protest votes against incumbent administrations,' added Her Majesty Margareta.

From this perspective, Romania is not an exception, and 'it is our duty' to address inequalities within society.

'All countries with fast-growing economies generate inequality. We need greater investment in social services and to develop targeted social and economic inclusion policies. Yes, our economic growth is fast, but it is unbalanced. We have well-paid specialists, while in depopulated villages, pensioners can barely afford daily food. We invest in wireless technologies, yet we have the lowest healthcare spending in the European Union. It is our duty to address these inequalities - and to do so immediately. At the same time, we must redefine our relationship with the Romanian diaspora in a more effective, meaningful, and consistent manner. They need to feel part of Romanian life every day, not just before elections when we ask them to vote. And we must not forget our achievements or succumb to pessimism. Never in our modern history has Romania enjoyed greater security and better conditions for economic prosperity than today, as a member of the European Union and NATO,' Her Majesty Margareta argues.

The Custodian of the Crown also stressed the need to rethink the functioning of public institutions.

'Ultimately, I hope our public authorities will see these elections for what they truly are: a cry of despair from the hearts of voters who feel ignored and neglected by our current political system. We need to rethink how our institutions function. We need to offer the Romanian electorate real political solutions - not coalition games. And we must fight the growing cynicism among our youth regarding the honesty and effectiveness of governance. My family will continue its historic mission of serving all Romanians, wherever they may be and no matter how difficult their circumstances. So help us God,' concluded Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown.

The Central Electoral Bureau reported that, as of 9:00 a.m. Monday morning, data from 99.89% of all polling stations had been centralised.

According to the results, Nicusor Dan, the independent candidate and mayor of Bucharest, won the second round of the presidential election with 6,165,741 votes (53.61%), while his opponent, George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party, received 5,335,752 votes (46.39%). AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)