The Economist on the Basescu vs Ponta battle: Schengen area membership could be affected

The ongoing battle between Romania's Prime Minster and its President has caught the eye of the Economist. The article 'Ponta at war,' reports on the argument over who should represent Romania at the EU meetings, President Basescu or PM Ponta. The latest development came when Victor Ponta went to Brussels in spite of Romania's Constitutional Court finding in favor of the President's claim. Ponta pointed out that parliament had voted in favor of him representing Romania at the summit.

According to the Economist, more political turmoil is the last thing Romania needs after the year that has already seen three governments. “The battle between Romania’s two top politicians has monopolized the country’s public debate. The European Council’s hot issues for Romania, such as the access to structural funds and Schengen membership, receded in the public debate,” reads the article. There is a suggestion that the Romanian currency reaching a new low against the euro could in part be due to the political row and that it may even affect Romania's chances of joining the Schengen area. Read the full the article here. Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com