MEP Victor Negrescu stressed the importance of press independence for preserving democracy and for ”a Europe that acts in the interest of European citizens”.

He was speaking at a training session for young journalists interested in European affairs, organised by the European Parliament’s office in Romania.

”The press is and must remain the fourth power in any democratic state. If we want a Europe that acts in the interest of European citizens, we need citizens to be informed as much and as well as possible about European issues, as European decisions have a huge impact on our daily lives”, stressed Negrescu.

He recalled that he started his career ”as a journalist, I trained as a professional at RFI Romania and I am very proud of what I learned from my colleagues”.

”I’ve learned to stay authentic, to be direct and always speak my mind. I found myself in many of them, I answered the series of questions and I am convinced that many of them will end up moderating prime-time talk shows or authoring the most read editorials in the Romanian press”, said the MEP.

In an important year for the future of the European Union, protecting journalists and the media from political or economic interference is a priority.