President Nicusor Dan said on Saturday that Europe has made several mistakes, but that it is a democratic construction and that all these issues are opportunities for open debate within the European institutions.

The head of state said on Saturday, in a message delivered on Europe Day, that 'unfortunately, Europe is a subject that divides our society.'

'On Europe Day, we must talk about Europe differently than through slogans, we must move beyond the logic in which, instead of debate, we have slogans because, unfortunately, Europe is a subject that divides our society and, instead of debates, we have slogans. Europe made mistakes when it gave up nuclear energy and based its energy system on cheap gas from Russia - that was a mistake, when it neglected its defence industry, that was a mistake, when, in environmental policy, clearly justified, it set targets that were far too ambitious and affected heavy industry, that too was a mistake, when, on several issues, it acted ideologically, that was also a mistake, however Europe is a democratic construct and all these issues are opportunities for open debate with all the cards on the table within the European institutions, and I regret that these very strong internal debates are reflected far too little in the Romanian media,' Nicusor Dan said at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Popescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)