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TEHRAN, December 31 - Romanian officials on Monday slammed European Union officials for treating it as "a second-rate" country as it prepares to take over the EU's rotating presidency.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Underlining the fractious mood between Romania and Brussels, a senior official of Romania's governing Social Democratic Party blasted top EU officials including European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for alleged prejudices.
"Romania is under special (EU) monitoring. Romania is treated like a second-rate nation by some EU officials," Mihai Fifor, a Social Democrat leader, wrote Sunday.
We "will no longer take being scolded or sanctioned for things that happen everywhere in Europe," he added.
Romania takes over the rotating role on Jan. 1 amid deep political divisions at home and a contentious domestic judicial overhaul. EU officials have repeatedly criticized Bucharest over the legal changes, warning they will dilute efforts to prosecute high-level corruption in one of the bloc's most graft-riddled states.
On Saturday, Juncker told Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper that Romania may be "technically well-prepared" to take on the EU presidency, but he had doubts about whether Romania was ready for the political give-and-take of the role.
Romania joined the EU in 2007 but its justice system remains under special monitoring due to long-running concerns over the rule of law and corruption. It also hasn't been admitted to Europe's Schengen passport-free zone, an ongoing source of frustration for the government.
Source: AP
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