Klaus Werner Iohannis

Klaus Werner Iohannis is the President of Romania since 2014.

He was re-elected on November 24, 2019.

Prior to holding the highest dignity in the Romanian state, Klaus Werner Iohannis led the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania.

For 14 years he served as Mayor of Sibiu, city that has been designated the European Capital of Culture in 2007.

Biography

Personal Information

Date and place of birth: 13 June 1959, Sibiu, Romania
Marital Status: Married

December 2014 — Elected President of Romania
2000 - December 2014 — Mayor of the Municipality of Sibiu
1999 - 2000 — General Inspector, Sibiu County School Inspectorate
1997 - 1999 — Deputy General Inspector, Sibiu County School Inspectorate
1983 - 1997 — Physics teacher, Sibiu

Political career

2014 – President of the National Liberal Party
2013 – First Vice-President of the National Liberal Party
2002 - 2013 – President of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania

Education

1979-1983 – Faculty of Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

International and National Awards

2023 - German Civic Award, conferred by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation
2023 - Franz Werfel Award for Human Rights, granted by the Center against Expulsions in Bonn, the Federal Republic of Germany
2020 – European Charles IV Prize of the Sudeten German Homeland Association, the Federal Republic of Germany
2020/2021 – Charlemagne Prize, awarded by the City of Aachen, the Federal Republic of Germany
2020 – The Emperor Otto Prize, awarded by the City of Magdeburg, the Federal Republic of Germany
2020 – European Prize Coudenhove-Kalergi, European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi
2019 – Medal of Honour (Goldene Ehrennadel), the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania, Sibiu
2018 – Franz Josef Strauss award, Hanns Seidel Foundation, Munich, the Federal Republic of Germany
2017 – Light Unto the Nations award, American Jewish Committee, Washington, D.C., United States of America
2017 – Semper Opera Ball Dresden Medal of St. George, the Federal Republic of Germany
2016 – Hermann Ehlers award, Hermann Ehlers Foundation, Kiel, the Federal Republic of Germany
2016 – Martin Buber-Plaque, EURIADE Foundation, Kerkrade, the Kingdom of the Netherlands
2010 – Friend of the Jewish Communities in Romania Medal of Honor, Sibiu, Romania
2010 – The German Expatriates Association Plaque of Honor

State honorary distinctions

2022 - Grand Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania
2022 - Order of the Three Stars – Commander Grand Cross (1st class) – Republic of Latvia
2022 – Grand Collar of the State of Palestine
2021 – Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana of the Republic of Estonia
2019 – Emblem of Honour of Romanian Army
2017 – Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Grand Star of the Republic of Croatia
2016 – Order (First Class) of the White Double Cross of the Slovak Republic
2016 – Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour of the French Republic
2016 – Order of the White Eagle of the Republic of Poland
2016 – Grand Cross (Special Class) of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2016 – Order Stara Planina with Ribbon of the Republic of Bulgaria
2016 – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
2016 – Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
2016 – Collar (First Class) of the Order of Vytautas the Great, the Republic of Lithuania
2016 – Order of the Holy Sepulchre of the Patriarchate of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Israel
2016 – Order of the Republic of Moldova
2015 – Grand Collar of the Order of the Infante D. Henrique of the Portuguese Republic
2014 – Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2011 – Knight of the National Order for Merit of Romania
2009 – Officer of the Order of the Crown of the Kingdom of Belgium
2009 – Grand Cross Order of Merit, the Republic of Austria
2009 – Officer of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
2008 – Commander of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity of the Italian Republic
2007 – Knight of the National Order of the Star of Romania
2006 – Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Publications

EU.RO - Europe, an Open Dialogue (EU.RO - Un dialog deschis despre Europa), Curtea Veche Publishing, 2019
The First Step (Primul pas), Curtea Veche Publishing, 2015
Step by step (Pas cu pas), Curtea Veche Publishing, 2014

Foreign Languages spoken fluently

German and English

Source: Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations, August 2023.