#INIMIROMÂNEȘTI Awards

FIRST ROMANIAN HEART

Emil Boc

Mayor, Cluj-Napoca

“I do not agree that the political symbols of an aggressor state in Europe should be used in a country of the European Union.”

Emil Boc firmly rejected the display of the Russian flag and the playing of the Russian anthem at BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca during the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup (June 26–28, 2026). Despite World Gymnastics recently lifting sanctions allowing Russian athletes to compete under their national symbols, Boc stood his ground. The Russian team withdrew from the competition. The mayor of Cluj-Napoca proved that dignity and solidarity with Ukraine are not negotiable — that a Romanian city will not become a propaganda stage for an aggressor state.

June 2026

BESSARABIA — ROMANIAN HEART

Vitalie Cojocari

Journalist, former Euronews Romania / Pro TV

“When people see something on TikTok they say: 'Look at this information!' Well, those are just opinions. Only when we understand that can we move forward.”

Vitalie Cojocari is a Romanian journalist born in Northern Bessarabia, Republic of Moldova. With over 20 years of experience in the press — 17 years at Pro TV and 4 years at Euronews Romania, where he hosted the show «România lui Vitalie» — Cojocari has been a constant voice against Russian disinformation in the Romanian media space. A native speaker of both Romanian and Russian, he has explained Kremlin propaganda mechanisms to Romanian audiences, covered the war in Ukraine as a journalist, and built a bridge between Chișinău and Bucharest. In a period when pro-Russian narratives aggressively infiltrate Romanian media, Vitalie Cojocari has proven that a Moldovan with a Romanian heart can be the most effective weapon against lies.

July 2026

ROMANIAN HEARTS

Emil Boc

Vitalie Cojocari