Romania – “mature positioning” after 2014?

Over the next three years we will witness an intense debate about the future of the EU, which could probably result in an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in 2015, in preparation for a new EU treaty. How Member States position themselves is crucial to this debate. 2013 is a year of thinking in terms of how European institutions will prepare for the Meeting in 2014, which will take place most likely after we installed the next European Commission.

For Romania, a new EU treaty would be another chance to further develop domestic Europeanization. Romania must be an active state in the process of reforming the EU institutions. When Romania defines its opportunities they should be anchored in reality - they are not only national objectives, but also European ones.

For connecting the country to the EU we need about 5,000 Romanians in Brussels, and 25,000 in Romania actually, involved in the Community Mechanism. We currently only have about 2,500 Romanians in Brussels and maximum 10,000 in Romania (especially in the public sector).

Brussels will follow the September 2013 elections in Germany with great interest. It is very interesting to see if Angela Merkel wins a third term as chancellor. Without exaggerating, I think that what is currently happening in Berlin has great relevance to the entire European Union. Romania should take a serious look at its relationship with Germany, which I consider crucial for Romanian links with the EU.

If Romania wants to play a bigger role in the European Union, I think first of all one has to analyze the options and geopolitical opportunities. The Latin connections should be used, especially because Spain and Italy now hosts millions of Romanians.

I recently wrote about the variety of ways in which Romania could play an important role at the European level and hence on bilateral partnerships that can benefit if there is symmetry of interest. Particularly evident would be a bilateral partnership with Poland, a country with which we have a lot in common, and which manages to demarcate and to be noticed in Europe.

Romania has to mature and find a realistic positioning in EU matters, which will be crucial in the coming years for the relationship with the "Brussels fortress", but also for the bilateral relationships with Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland.

Dan LUCA / Brussels