Romanian officials react to the two-speed Europe scenario

Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis and Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), reject the scenario of a two-speed European Union, which was officially included among the five scenarios for EU’s future presented on Wednesday by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. “Such formulas for reconfiguring the (European) Union could lead to the disintegration of the European project,” the Presidential Administration announced on Wednesday. Romania supports a strong, consolidated, unified and inclusive Europe, according to the Presidency. Dragnea urged Iohannis to call the local political parties to consultations to define Romania’s position in the negotiations that will take place in the following months related to the EU reconfiguration. Romanian MEP Renate Weber also thinks that Romania must have a clear position on the future of the European Union or its future within the EU. She added that the multi-speed Europe scenario is “unpleasant”, but shouldn’t be seen in a “fatalistic key”. Weber also said that a “true battle” for rebuilding Europe will follow. This Europe has “a lot of dissatisfaction about EU policies and the way this European construction goes,” the MEP added. The European Commission published on Wednesday its White Paper on the future of the EU-post-Brexit. Juncker had proposed five scenarios for Europe by 2025. But the real scenario hidden among the other four was Number 3, according to Euractiv.com. “It is about respecting what we have already,” said the official with respect to existing divisions such as Eurozone and non-Eurozone, “but in some areas, going further.” “With the concentric approaches, Europe a la carte, two-speed Europe, all of this, we say to the member states – guys, it’s time to carve this out,” the official said. editor@romania-insider.com