President Nicusor Dan in Focsani on Saturday said that we live in a society marked by a confusion of values and that it is our duty to fight for values such as truth and the value of science and knowledge in society.

On Saturday morning, the President paid a visit to the 'Unirea' National College in Focsani, where he presented the school's management with the 'Merit for Education' Order in the rank of Commander, on the occasion of the Day of the Union of the Romanian Principalities and the 160th anniversary of the institution's founding. The head of state was welcomed with applause and ovations in a packed hall.

In his address to the pupils, the head of state spoke about his own formation as a secondary school student, about the 'confusion of values' in today's society and about the school's role in defending truth, science and knowledge, stressing that this struggle is all the more difficult for the generations now entering public life.

'It is a great joy for me to be with you this morning and I confess that it is also a moment of emotion, as it brings back memories of my own formation as a pupil. For a long time after graduating secondary school, whenever I met someone and said I was from Fagaras, the question was: ‘And you went to Radu Negru in Fagaras, didn't you?' And I would say: ‘Yes, that's true.' First of all, congratulations on continuing to shape yourselves around values, because we live in a society where there is a confusion of values and it is our duty to fight for values such as truth, such as the value of science and knowledge in society, such as respect for science and knowledge in society, and this is not an easy struggle at all. And especially for you, who are forming yourselves and entering society, it is not easy at all,' Nicusor Dan said.

The President then drew a comparison between generations, showing that today's nonconformism is no longer about 'external signs' but about the courage to uphold values that may seem outdated in a fast-paced and polarised world.

'Somehow, in our generation, to be nonconformist - obviously every child wanted to be nonconformist - it was quite simple: you let your hair grow a bit longer, you listened to a certain kind of music and you were nonconformist. For you, being nonconformist means, in my view, having the courage to assert values that seem to be obsolete but are the values on which this society was built. It is not easy. It is a complex world, with many opportunities,' the head of state said.

Nicusor Dan urged pupils to maintain their confidence in Romania, saying that 'in the medium term' the country's potential will become increasingly evident.

'My encouragement is to continue to believe in this country, because I am convinced it has a great future and we will see that in the medium term this future will become more and more evident. Once again, congratulations on what you are doing. See you at the 170th anniversary!,' the President said.

The head of state also had a message for teachers, saying that society has not always placed them 'where they deserve to be' but that their work has sustained communities 'from a position that is sometimes ungrateful.'

'Our society has not always placed you where you deserve to be, it has not always been fair to you, but many people understand and are grateful to you for having managed to hold this society together from a position that is sometimes, as I said, ungrateful. So you have my thanks and, through me, the thanks of society for what you do,' Nicusor Dan underlined.

During the event, pupils of the college who achieved results at international Olympiads and at Olympic-level sports competitions were awarded on stage and were seated in the front row of the hall.

President Nicusor Dan is also due to participate in the events in Focsani dedicated to the Day of the Union of the Romanian Principalities, scheduled to take place in Union Square. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Dana Lepadatu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)