Magazine / Society / Romania and Bulgaria / From the press | 31/01/2007

The EU's wary view of the newcomers

In January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU, which encompasses now 27 countries. The accession was controversial, because neither candidate has fulfilled all criteria for acceptance.

The EU felt there was room for improvement, whether in construction of legal systems, fighting against corruption, securing borders, controlling the quality of foodstuffs and dealing with minorities. But a decision was made to allow the process of reform to continue after accession to the Union. The EU is hedging its bets – for example, employee freedom of movement will not be automatically granted to the new members, and court sentences from both countries must not necessarily be recognized on the EU level. Some media called it a "second-class EU membership." The scepticism towards these two countries was great. Can the EU come to terms with the problems of these new members?

General

El Mundo - Spain | Thursday, 17. August 2006

Ismail Kadare on the curse of the Balkans

Albanian writer Ismail Kadare assesses the European dreams of the peoples of the Balkan peninsual. "After shrugging off the Ottoman yoke, they have tried one ... » more

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Wednesday, 27. September 2006

The last European enlargement?

Cyrill Steiger welcomes the decision to allow these two – very different – countries to join the EU, and advises against freezing the enlargement process. ... » more

City portraits

Népszabadság - Hungary | Monday, 11. December 2006

Bucharest - new center of the Balkans

Three weeks before Romania's accession to the EU, András Dési has discovered the new centre of the Balkans in Bucharest: a "bustling, vibrant, colourful" city ... » more

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Wednesday, 13. December 2006

Sibiu - European Capital of Culture 2007

Together with Luxembourg, the city of Sibiu in the Romanian region of Transylvania will be European capital of culture 2007. The Romanian-born German author Richard ... » more

die tageszeitung - Germany | Friday, 29. September 2006

Sofia as a fluid city

Uwe Rada notes that in 2007, the EU will see the addition of a new and very different metropolis: the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. "The ... » more

Ready to join?

Hufvudstadsbladet - Finland | Monday, 15. May 2006

Bulgaria and Romania in the EU

Never before has the EU been willing to admit states that have so little experience with democracy and civil society, Björn Sundell complains in the ... » more

die tageszeitung - Germany | Thursday, 6. July 2006

Ilija Trojanow on the Bulgarian mafia

"In Bulgaria the mafia is not part of the state; the state is part of the mafia," writes author Ilija Trojanow about the country, which ... » more

Polityka - Poland | Wednesday, 8. November 2006

The radicalisation of minorities in Bulgaria

The newspaper's correspondent in Bulgaria examines the situation of the Roma and the Turkish minority in Bulgaria: "Criminality among the Roma is increasing and people ... » more

La Vanguardia - Spain | Friday, 3. November 2006

The endemic problems of Romania

Romania's entrance into the EU has sparked off the acute concern of the Spanish journalist Valentin Popescu. "The most apparent and probably most serious problem ... » more

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Thursday, 7. December 2006

Opening files of the Romanian secret police

More than 16 years after the end of Communism, Romanians are getting a look at the work of the infamous 'Securitate'. Some 1.3 million files ... » more

die tageszeitung - Germany | Wednesday, 13. December 2006

Ivaylo Dichev on lifestyle nationalism in Bulgaria

Ivaylo Dichev, professor of cultural anthropology in Sofia, describes the rise of nationalism in his country, Bulgaria, which he says represents another facet of the ... » more

Positive views

Le Soir - Belgium | Thursday, 28. September 2006

Diversity as wealth for Europe

"Europe is embellished by its diversity", states the journalist Maroun Labaki the day after the official announcement of entry into the EU of Bulgaria and ... » more

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Tuesday, 26. September 2006

EU membership for Romania and Bulgaria in 2007?

"Could it be that all the fuss about the criteria for accession stems from the fact that Bulgaria and Romania's accession will mean that, following ... » more

I Kathimerini - Greece | Monday, 18. December 2006

The impact of Bulgarian and Romanian EU accession on Greece

In the biggest single development in the Balkans since the collapse of communism in 1989, Bulgaria and Romania will become members of the European Union ... » more

Free movement of workers

Sme - Slovakia | Thursday, 26. October 2006

Bulgaria laments EU's restrictive labour market measures

Maglena Kuneva, the chief negotiator for Bulgaria's accession to the EU and future European commissioner for her country, expresses her disappointment that most of the ... » more

The Guardian - United Kingdom | Tuesday, 26. September 2006

EU membership for Romania and Bulgaria in 2007?

Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe, pre-accession advisor, considers how new research shows that the UK will not be "swamped". "A poll carried out for Bulgaria's labour ministry by ... » more

Lidové noviny - Czech Republic | Tuesday, 26. September 2006

EU membership for Romania and Bulgaria in 2007?

The Czech government has not yet reached a final decision, but it seems highly likely that the Czech Republic will open its labour market to ... » more

Further articles on the subject » EU Enlargement / Neighbourhood Policy, » EU Policy, » South East Europe, » Romania, » Bulgaria
More from the press review on the subject » EU Enlargement / Neighbourhood Policy, » EU Policy, » South East Europe, » Romania, » Bulgaria