Europe votes: Romania, a European success story? • FRANCE 24 English

Seventeen years after Romania joined the EU, the country's European journey is far from over. At the end of March, Romania - together with Bulgaria - partially joined Europe's ID-check-free Schengen zone, after many years of negotiations. It was hailed as a historic step by the European Commission, although land border checks remain in place for now. An even more historic step would be membership of the single currency, and the Romanian government has said it's looking to adopt the euro in 2026 - if the national recovery and resilience plan is fully implemented first. Joining in 2026 would be three years ahead of the previously mentioned target of 2029. We discuss the country's European story and challenges ahead with two Romanian MEPs.
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[@ciprianbaciu3990]

We are extremely upset in Romania for the abuse and injustice act of Austria to oppose us entering Schengen space. The European bureaucrats should do something with the Austrian stubbornness, because what Austria is doing now regarding denying our right to fully join Schengen space is costing us billions and billions of euros. Is any Austrian official on Putin's payroll list?

[@донБольшой]

As a romanian, I am happy for having the border control, so your drugs and squatters can not get into our land. Deal with your politically correctness and cross dressers in your "civilised" west 😂

[@dumitrugal5125]

De ce ești supărat și pe cine ,opincarule?

[@runmvp]

For who doesn’t know. Holland doesn’t want Romania in shengen because then Costanta will be the no 1 port that connects Europe with Asia.

[@victoneter]

This could be true. But as someone from the Netherlands, there's another additional reason. The previous coalition was constantly challenged by an anti foreigner party, so they probably blocked them to keep their voters.

[@CristianDudut]

Romanian here. Mr Silviu is clearly trying to avoid answering the question towards the end of the video, his fellow party colleagues are doing it in Romania, you can see Mr Pâslaru's face knowing that at 11:10

[@Julian-zj2qy]

On my list of places I want to visit.

[@alexgrazie93]

As romanian, kindly warn you to keep your wallet safe.

[@omi685]

​@@alexgrazie93 What a daft comment 🤮

[@cristiannec9116]

@@alexgrazie93 as Romanian ( se cam scrie cu "R mare) keep your wallet in pi.da ma-tii ! Si daca tot esti un happy emigrant care calca in picioare drapelul Romanesc, ramai si tu acolo cu walett-ul. Ce placere tampita aveti oare ma, ca abia plecati si voi din tara, si iute, aruncati cu rahat inapoi. Nu stiu sincer de ce. De prosti.... de parveniti.... de tzaranetzi care vor sa arate ca ei sunt speciali si cu steif. ......

[@dariuss.3734]

@@alexgrazie93vin in tara in aproape fiecare vara de zeci de ani si nici o data nu mi sa furat nimic. Ori este exagerat fenomenul ori timisoara e de vina nush 😂

[@alexgrazie93]

@@dariuss.3734 probabil te miros baietii ca nu esti turist😏

[@BeYourselfMan]

Romania's economy and military is growing very strong.

[@claudiuflorea2090]

That’s a false impression, my friend. Truth is a large percentage of the country is extremely poor to the point of not affording nothing more than basic living. The current coalition is extremely corrupt and we reached to a point where there are no major difference between their views and policies. Their only purpose is to make money while they can, terrified by the appearance of new political parties that condemns them for the poor and corrupt governance. By all means Romania is still a communist country ruled by the former regime which is now knows as secret services like SRI. They are a nomenclature that kept the power since the 80’. A bunch of people without any kind of fear of God that is mocking and blatantly violate the constitution while not even being very good at it. In other words, they are stupid but they have the power. They confiscated the 89’ revolution together with the army and this is an official fact resulted in a recent army investigation. The prosecutor that finished this investigation later retired, a thing that most untamed people in the Romanian system do realizing that it is almost impossible to fight the impostors that I previously described above. This coalition is a last desperate attempt of a power grab, knowing that they’re days are numbered. So if the economy improved, the money doesn’t reach the population. They introduced a thing called “special pensions” for politicians, judges and militarily personnel so they basically bought everyone that matters in the system. These pensions are costing us an obscene amount of money each month while hospitals have no medicine and people are literally dying. Our military is also in ruins with high ranking personnel doing Uber in their spare time just to be able to live a decent life. A recent investigation done by Recorder, an independent organization funded through Patreon by the people of Romania concluded that the soldiers have to bring money from home to buy soap for the bathrooms, and sometimes even buy their own gear. Things documented with testifies on tape. They are also used for buildings maintenance work rather than training for what they should actually be prepared to do and that is because they don’t have freaking bullets to train with. Most of them have done maybe 2 exercises. This may sound harsh, but I can promise you that I have no interest in simply lying about my country. I am not a hater or an extremist, just a lucid citizen. This is the reality of Romania. I wish we would have a smart, honest and patriotic political class but that’s simply not the case. Even though I certainly not like your president, I am almost sure that you guys have real political figures and I am happy for you, but we are light years away and that makes me sad. The people of Romania deserve better and we could be a much, much more powerful country, benefiting Europe interests in an important part of it. I salute the french people.

[@lucaciarnold-vasile9022]

I don't believe even if u pay me 😂

[@BeYourselfMan]

@@lucaciarnold-vasile9022 Well it's a good thing no one really cares what you think.

[@dyawr]

​@@claudiuflorea2090 That's nonsense.

[@alexgrazie93]

You what mate?!!!🤣🤣🤣

[@endlesspain4090]

Dragos Pîslaru e la alt nivel....din pacate noi votam PSD/PNL

[@draand2878]

REPER nici macar nu o sa apuce sa fie pe listele de vot pentru europarlamentare, din cauza ca nu au resuit sa stranga cele 200k semnaturi (au undeva la 150k). Totusi mai sunt 2 zile...

[@victorburacu9960]

Not quite, a lot will vote for USR/ADU.

[@amethyst2823]

E doar la un alt nivel de narcisim! Nu vad nici o diferenta intre cei doi cu exceptia aerelor de superioritate afisate de cel de la REPER.

[@Paul-bc3uy]

Are o engleza de balta, ca Busoi. Bine, fata de francezi e gold....

[@Paul-bc3uy]

First positive article of France 24 about Romania (and not about Ceausescu) for like 34 years! Or in 34 years. :)

[@walterkondor9311]

Our politicians are incompetent, I do not think we should change our currency so soon.

[@walterkondor9311]

@NA-fq6hv yes, and I remember my relatives in Germany complaining after the mark-euro transition. Romania in struggling to keep it all together.

[@Sofia-0001]

We should not! At least 6-10 years from now.

[@L.h314]

I have doubts about the Romania success. Austria is the worst country in Europe. We must stop doing business Austria will understand they are bad when they will loose money like Romania.

[@danielracovitan9779]

Romania had the biggest growth in the EU in the last 15 years ; that is a success story

[@iovanpaul8935]

Not this time

[@norinretrescu2474]

I'm Romanian and I watch this show, where they invited two clowns from Romania to flatter the Brussels bureaucracy 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@luvslogistics1725]

You clearly are Romanian, you don’t need to say it, the rest of your comment makes it evident. Romania has some talented people too, but of course others will always find something wrong with them.

[@norinretrescu2474]

@@luvslogistics1725 of course Romania also has talented people, one of them is me.I don't understand why you imply that being Romanian is bad

[@TheACCars]

Closed

[@alinadrianon]

Blind politicians What hybrid war about the Ukrainian grain who was suppose to save Africa and not to dumping on EU markets?! With pesticides and GMO! And local farmers are accused to vote for AUR or PSD?!😢😅

[@colinsmith1288]

The eu is not europe. But part of it.!

[@UlpianHeritor]

That's like saying the US is not America but part of it.

[@pabloagusti5104]

The phrase "Birds can fly" isn't completely true, but trust me, it doesn't contain any kind of hidden anti-penguin bias. It's just a useful generalization.

[@SR-oc1gc]

Romania's debt in 1989 was 0 Romania's debt in 2024 is 174 billion USD. A success story for the West.

[@catalintololoi5776]

And with what cost was zero ,did you forgot ?

[@MirceaPaz]

@SR-oc1gc you should thank for this to the neo-communists from PSD you voted for

[@omi685]

The other western countries owe TRILLIONS in debt...

[@TTBOn00bKiLleR]

Well, depends on the perspective. Yes, they achieved their goal. We are their obedient slaves now. As intended

[@omi685]

@@TTBOn00bKiLleR Maybe you should give up all the western technology and all the other goods to show the world how you are independent, including KZbin 😂

[@andreipunct]

an you couldn't find someone to actually speak english?

[@loneycornel778]

I am from Romania. Offf!!!