The Iron Lady led the British Government from 1979 to 1990. She is the only Prime Minister re-elected three times on a row in 160 years of British History.
On December 22, 1989, in an interview for ITN News at One, Margaret Thatcher commented on the events in Romania where Nicolae Ceauşescu was removed from power.
‘We have seen a tide of liberty sweep across Eastern Europe in the last twelve months, one nation after another—Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechoslovakia. And now it seems from reports we have been receiving in the last hour that the people of Romania have taken liberty for themselves.’
‘That is wonderful news!. I think we should just spare a thought for the very courageous people who just were not prepared to knuckle under against the blood-stained tyranny and who led the protest and paid for it with their lives. They will be real heroes in Romania's history and we should just think about them and their families this Christmas’.
And of course, assuming that all the news that we have heard is true, we welcome Romania to the family of free nations and hope that she will soon get a fully democratic system and once again play her full part in European matters’, Margaret Thatcher stated according to the transcript on her foundation’s website.
‘We shall offer Romania the same kind of help that we have offered to others (…) But of course we offer help to those who are coming out of tyranny into the light of democracy. I hope that they will follow other nations and that the new government that is taking over will arrange free elections and within a reasonable period. But it is very good news, isn't it? Marvellous for Christmas time, absolutely wonderful’, Thatcher stated at the time.
