Adrian Severin: Traian Basescu Needs Another Three Terms To Make Amends For His Behaviour In the European Union

Cristina MihalaŞcu

"President Traian Basescu would need another three terms of office to make amends for his behaviour in the European Union, because his actions have done nothing but discredit our country"s position in the European Community," said Adrian Severin MEP upon the release by the "Ovidiu Sincai" Institute of a report titled "Romania"s Influence in The European Union."

According to Severin, a potential decision of the incumbent President not to run for re-election this autumn would support the effort to increase Romania"s influence within the European political structures, as Traian Basescu has depleted whatever credibility he may have had.

"One of the most serious mistakes that the President made recently was his speech about the situation of the Moldovans in Bessarabia. Without any prior consultation with the European Union, he said that the would expedite the process of granting citizenship" (i.e. to citizens of the neighbouring Republic of Moldova), Severin added.

On the same occasion, Severin emphasized the need to achieve a transversal political pact among the main political parties in Romania to have them commit to promoting a unitary vision within their respective European political families - Liberal, People"s and Socialist. In his view, of all the political parties in Romania, the only ones which do not belong in the European Parliament are the nationalists, whose ideological legacy makes them sceptical about any trans-national structure. "I do not think that PRM is a Euro-sceptic party, but they belong to the family of nationalist parties, and that is why they cannot express themselves at European level. Their seats will be lost for Romania," Severin added.

Upon concluding, Adrian Severin MEP stated that the leading Commissions that Romania could have in the European structures were Enlargement, Energy and Regional Policy. According to him, Romania would be directly interesting in ensuring energy security in Central and South-Eastern Europe.