Parliamentary Assembly

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

Thank you for your question. Any politician will try to convince you with words that things are going well in a country such as Romania, but I will not argue with words. I ask you to check the joint report of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank of October 2005. It analysed 26 countries, some of them EU member states, others applicant countries. The report clearly states that in 2005 the business environment in Romania was very much improved and the level of corruption was very much diminished.

The figures in the EBRD/World Bank report show that Romania has less corruption in business compared to some member states and the document will convince you that corruption in Romania has diminished because of the government’s actions. The report compares the situation in Romania in 2002, when there was a high level of corruption in the business environment, to that in 2005 when, as the report shows, good progress was made by the Romanian authorities and the business community.

In addition, I guarantee that as President of Romania, together with the government and relevant politicians, we are really fighting against corruption. Last year, when we succeeded in giving justice an independent position as regards politicians and state structures, our success in the fight against corruption became evident. I invite you to visit Romania so that you can be much better informed.

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

Romania is a supporter of a united Europe. We are confronted with the effects of the globalisation process and no one country in Europe will be able to face them if the European Union remains a simple market. Romania will support the constitutional treaty as soon as we become a member of the EU. As we have decided with the European Commission, on 1 January 2007 Romania will push for ratification of the constitutional treaty from our side.

We consider that a Europe without a constitutional treaty is condemned to remain a simple market, and thus unable to defend ourselves and to have a common foreign policy, and we will not be prepared to defend our citizens against the effects of globalisation. A united Europe with a constitutional treaty will be on the path of the globalisation process. If we are not united by a constitutional treaty we will be on the receiving end of the effects of that process. For that reason, Romania very much supports the constitutional treaty. Thank you.

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

We have established a programme together with specialists from the European Commission, with the assistance of the Council of Europe, regarding the Roma minority. The programme started in 2001, and its objectives will have to be reached in 2010. We still have five years in which to implement the programme. We have special legislation dedicated to integrating the Roma minority into Romanian society. We allocate places to the Roma in all categories of school in Romania. Those places are specially reserved for the Roma.

At the same time, we organise special training for the Roma population through our employment agencies, so that the Roma can become integrated into our economy. A lot of steps have been taken. In addition, we have given considerable finances to the 2001-10 programme, which is dedicated to the Roma. I do not say that we are now at the stage of settling this problem, but there is a committee that checks discrimination against the Roma. Politicians, journalists and citizens who blame Roma only because they are Roma are immediately fined and their names are made public. We are convinced that we have a set of rules that allows us to expect that the Roma will experience no problems in Romania by 2010.

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

Thank you very much. The deployment of American military personnel to facilities on Romanian territory is in full accordance with the international legislation under which Romania, the Russian Federation and the United States and European Union countries operate. In addition, I can guarantee to you that the deployment of American forces on Romanian territory is not against any country. We are looking first of all to protect democracy and our safety. As President of Romania, I am looking out for the security of my country. Perhaps this is not the right moment to say this, but in February 2005, I personally spoke to the head of the Russian Federation, and the answer was that we respect all international obligations related to the deployment of American military personnel to facilities in Romania on the Black Sea coast.

I understand that you represent the Russian Federation, sir. You stayed for thirty years in Romania, and we never asked you why you stayed.

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

Thank you very much. I will not give you a lot of arguments about the minorities in Romania, but I will give you a few examples. In Romania, the minorities can use their language in the judicial system. In Romania, the minorities can use their own language in the schools. We have found 19 minorities in Romania, and all 19 are represented in parliament. In Romania, we have three full government ministers from those minorities. In Romania, in areas where 20% of people come from the minorities, the local administration is obliged to ensure that documents and local decisions are presented in Romanian and in the minority language.

Romania has one of the most modern systems of laws to protect minorities. However, we have a problem that involves a debate in the political class regarding cultural autonomy. We have definitely tried to find examples from among other EU member states that show how that cultural autonomy can be granted in conditions where people are free to use Hungarian, Ukrainian and all the minority languages, even in the justice system, and the judge is obliged to provide a person from a minority with a translator who can translate from that minority language into the official Romanian language. We have not found a model showing such laws in Europe. I kindly ask you whether you have such a model. If you have one, I will consider it and we will find a solution that is used in other European countries. Thank you.

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

I am afraid that I will not answer in French. What does the French language mean for Romania? Many Romanians know French. This year, a francophone summit will be held in Bucharest, and it will be attended by 63 francophone countries. French language and culture are part of our culture. France has contributed to our culture, and Brancusi created many monuments in Paris. Many Romanians pursue creative activities in France. I hope that that answer satisfies you. I regret that I am not a French speaker, because I was a captain in the merchant navy and English is the language that can save you.

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

I can give an example from today’s Romanian newspapers, where I am criticised on the front page. They are therefore free to do whatever they want. To be serious, we consider freedom of the press an essential part of democracy. There was a time when the media were controlled by government publicity. I have the relevant dates. When the present government came to power in December 2004 it did not issue any publicity based on affinities with one or another newspaper or television channel. It is our objective to keep the media free and we will do so by approving freedom of expression for all Romanians, including journalists. Since the new government came to power it has not taken any action against journalists, who are free to say whatever they want. We are free to give our own explanation when they are not right. That is the simple philosophy that we apply.

In addition, to extend the concept of freedom of expression in Romania, may I invite you to see how free we are? Sometimes, freedom of expression creates certain images but we are happy to accept the cost of an excess of freedom, which is preferable to trying to control freedom of expression in any area of Romanian society.

Mr Băsescu, President of Romania

As you know, we have publicly declared that we support the integration of the Republic of Moldova sooner or later in the European Union. We regard that process as the only solution to reunify the Romanian nation inside the EU. Like all Romanians I was very proud when Germany succeeded in its reunification, and we have been offered a chance by the European institutions to be together in the EU and reunify the Romanian nation. That is Romanians’ warmest wish and we will not hesitate to support the integration of the Republic of Moldova in any European institution.

As you can see from my intervention, a solution is to include the Republic of Moldova in a road map such as the one used for countries in the western Balkans. If we were to forget a small country such as Moldova with 4 million citizens and with only a small land mass on the EU-NATO border, the position would be more difficult for Ukraine, which is a bigger country. We should not forget Moldova, and we should give it the same prospects for integration as Ukraine. The obligation on Romanian citizens and the Romanian nation to try to reunify Romania inside the European Union is a historic one, as no one asked us when the Ribbentrop–Molotov pact was signed.