The expenses for the foreign trips of President Klaus Iohannis in March amounted to 10.385 million lei, i.e. 2.1 million euros, according to the implementation budget published by the Presidential Administration, writes Europa Liberă.

How much do Johannis’ foreign trips cost?

The amount paid for foreign trips in March is more than a third of the entire budget allocated for 2023.

The presidential administration paid 12.2 million lei, which is equivalent to approximately 2.5 million euros, for the official visits of the head of state from the beginning of 2023.

Spending is higher than in any of the years 2016-2021.

This year, 27 million lei were allocated for the travel of Klaus Iohannis, writes Europa Liberă.

Amounts spent by the Presidential Administration on foreign business trips (2016 – 2021)

2021 – 7,899,252.55 lei (1.5 million euros)

2020 – 3,103,378.16 lei (620 thousand euros)

2019 – 10,839,246.03 lei (2.1 million euros)

2018 – 6,319,429.25 lei (1.2 million euros)

2017 – 6,347,806.78 lei (1.2 million euros)

2016 – 6,111,395.77 lei (1.2 million euros)

How many visits did Johannis make abroad in March

In March, President Klaus Iohannis made four visits abroad:

• Asian tour March 6-10 in Japan and Singapore;
• trip to Sofia on March 15;
• 4 days in Dubai and UAE;
• 2 days in Brussels.

Klaus Iohannis is on tour in Latin America until April 26. His journey takes place on a plane rented from a company in Luxembourg.

On Wednesday, the President of Romania continues his two-day official visit to the Federal Republic of Brazil, where he will hold meetings with the local authorities of Rio de Janeiro, writes Agerpres.

According to the official program, the head of state will meet with the vice-governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro Thiago Pampola Gonçalves and with the vice-mayor of the city Nilton Caldeira.

Klaus Iohannis will also lay a wreath at the National Monument to fallen heroes during the Second World War.

It will be recalled that the Presidential Administration recently provided an explanation regarding the trip of President Klaus Iohannis to Japan by private plane and specified how such a decision was made. “The absence of an aircraft intended for the air transportation of high-ranking persons creates problems with operation, economic inefficiency and, above all, damages the image on the external plane,” the institution says.

Read also:

• Klaus Johannis is leaving for a tour of South America in 9 days. Official visits to Brazil, Chile and Argentina
• The President of Romania also flies to Brazil, Argentina and Chile on a plane leased from the Luxembourg airline Global Jet
• VIDEO Iohannis’ reaction to the question of whether he knows why the expenses of his trips abroad are secret

Travel expenses, secretly

“The main purpose of the visit is to assess the state of bilateral relations between the two countries and jointly identify areas where there are prospects for increasing trade and attracting new investments for both states,” the Presidential Administration reported.

Responding on Thursday to questions about salary cuts and the budget hole, President Klaus Iohannis said that the Presidential Administration will implement the budget provisions approved by the budget law.

• “I am categorically against any reductions in alandal.
• I have personally seen all kinds of stupid measures in the administration and in politics for a long time, with the reduction of salaries, with the reduction of current expenses, everything is poorly thought out.
• I want this, and I have conveyed this to those in the Coalition, I want a sensible, well-planned plan. That is, we cut from where it is possible to cut without creating any difficulties.
• So don’t expect me to approve or welcome cuts made like this from under the pen, from the minister’s office. It should not be like this, and we are not able to make sensational cuts, and in no case are we able to make cuts from Romanians’ money,” Iohannis said.

When asked by journalists why the expenses of the President’s Administration are not public, Yohannis answered: “Because it is the law.”

In European and overseas countries, the amounts that the state pays for the trips of high dignitaries are public data. In Romania, taxpayers do not have the right to know how much, for example, the flights of the head of state cost. Politicians created a legislative framework and classified public information through several decisions of the Government.