AWLC to Anonymous Romania
Hi Anya
Romanian president Traian Basescu and PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu left for Brussels yesterday in order to attend the spring reunion of the Council of Europe. They left earlier than scheduled so that before the first summit session they would talk to the representatives of political groups in the Parliament of Europe. President Basescu was to meet leaders of the EPP (the European People's Party). PM Tariceanu was to have a meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and lunch with the European Liberals, arranged by Belgian PM Guy Varhofstadt. These meetings are meant to get the EPP and the European Liberals support Romania with view to the report to be published in May and accession to the EU on schedule. Romanian officials probably intend to deliver a message to EU authorities: the European Commission's report due in May should decide on Romania's progress so that in the summit to follow in June Romania's accession in 2007 should be officially announced. As for Traian Basescu's meeting with the EPP leaders, maybe the head of state intends to do lobby so that the Democrat Party, his ex party, would be admitted in the EPP. Foreign minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu, European integration minister Anca Boagiu and finance minister Sebastian Vladescu are also part in the Romanian delegation attending the spring summit.
These days Budapest has taken great interest in the Magyar minority issue in Romania, as rough electoral campaign is going on in Hungary. Withhelp from MEPs sent to Brussels, Budapest has taken action to promote territorial autonomy in Romania. It was Barna Boda, president of the Alliance of Magyar NGOs in Transylvania, episcope Bala Kata, president of SAPIENTIA Foundation, UDMR (the Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania) senator Csaba Sagor, Zolt Szilaghyi, president of the National Council of the Magyar Civic Association and episcope Laszlo Tokes, president of the Magyar National Council in Transylvania who brought territorial autonomy claims to Brussels. (...) The lawyers of territorial autonomy were coordinated by EU deputy Kinga gal from FIDESZ. She was successfully accompanied by socialist Csaba Tabajdi. The latter highlighted the need for Hungarian politicians' consensus on Romania's accession to the EU. I'm waiting your questions.
Talk with you soon.
/ Paula Nistor