Military Parade Organized On Romanian National Day

Romanian president Traian Basescu left the parade without diving into the crowd, as he did in the previous years. Basescu attended the parade accompanied by the officials present, in the official lodge. At the end, he got into the car and left, applauded by some of the spectators. In fact, he had announced a few hours before, on the Romanian National Radio Station, that after the parade he would go to his office, where he has to solve the final details for the official visit that he would perform Tuesday in Switzerland. However, Basescu said that in the evening he would go to Universitatii Square with his wife, where he would attend the folkloric music show organized there.

Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu also attended the parade, and he left greeting the crowd from his car.

Social Democratic Party leaders Mircea Geona and Titus Corlatean also took a few steps greeting the crowd. Later, Geoana met former Romanian president Ion Iliescu, and the two of them walked together to their cars. Geoana told the media that he likes parades and that this was good.

In exchange, Democratic Party Secretary Executive Elena Udrea got out of her car and took some photographs with several people attending the parade.

Other parade official attendants included Senate Speaker Nicolae Vacaroiu, officials within the Romanian army, war veterans and various representatives of the diplomatic core.

Several thousand of people came to the parade, most of them being youth and children, waving national flags made available by the organizers. The audience was larger than in the previous year, also due to the fact that the weather was fairer this time.

The parade at national glory symbol Arcul de Triumf was preceded by a religious ceremony and a laying of wreaths at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in Carol Park, where several political leaders were present.