Urgently needed
Romania and the European Union
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Romania’s path to membership of the European Union was a difficult one. The initial situation in 1989 was more complex than in the eastern-central European states, and it was only much later that democracy and the rule of law began to be established. That this was made possible is largely thanks to the European Union. Romania benefitted significantly from its entry into the EU in 2007. However, some fundamental conflicts remain unresolved. In dealing with politicians who are worried to lose their privileges, Romanian society urgently needs the support of Brussels. In its turn, the Romanian electorate has expressed a pro-European stance in the European parliamentary elections in 2019, which the EU urgently needs at a time when national populist movements are on the rise.
(Osteuropa 6-8/2019, pp. 219–230)