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| Nãstase: Romanian premier must speed up political and economic reform or face EU exclusion |
ON MAY 1, 10 states, including eight from central and eastern Europe, will become members of the European Union. Romania will not be among them. And unless it pushes on with political and economic reforms, it is in danger of failing to meet the timetable for being included in the next planned round of EU enlargement in 2007.
That's the stark message coming from the European Commission and the European Parliament, which over the past few months have regularly berated the country's politicians for failing to reform the judiciary, respect press freedoms, fight corruption, curb illegal adoptions and restructure and privatize state-owned companies.
Most tellingly of all perhaps, the EC concluded that Romania is the only EU accession candidate that does not yet possess a fully functioning market economy – shorthand for saying the country is still incapable of competing in the EU's single market.
The challenge facing the government of premier Adrian Nãstase is to speed up political and economic change or see Romania face an uncertain period of exile from Europe's exclusive club of nations.