Romania’s road to modernization and development inevitably passes through Brussels. Our country’s membership in the European Union is not a dead end, as some try to scare us, but not a panacea, as others try to convince us. Romania in the EU is a fact of history and a chance for Romanians.

However, it depends on us, from Bucharest and Brăila, to villages that still seem forgotten by the world, to capitalize on this chance, to put European money to work at the service of Romanians and to bring a country with human and natural resources into the 21st century extraordinary. And I say this after tens of thousands of kilometers covered only in this term at the European Parliament and after thousands of meetings with people of all social conditions and all political orientations, living in countless EU countries – including many, too many alienated Romanians , I hope temporary. In order to bring them back and to convince those in the country to stop emigrating, we must build – urgently and sustainably – the Romania we all want.

Romania is a full member of the EU, which means joining the Schengen free movement area. A Romania with a developed infrastructure and economy with the support of European funds, which means accelerated access to the PNRR amounts that we have at our disposal. A Romania with medical, educational and social services, which implies a massive effort by the state to respond to society’s needs and expectations, even if later.

We also have a long way to go to be an active presence that matters in the balance of power in the EU. Belonging to any group or organization, whether of an individual or a community, involves entering into a power game. The frustrated screams from the sidelines or the drunkenness of someone who promises that he will punch the table of Europe does not ensure us either a better status or more influence.

Romania still has to learn to play at the European level. Just as we still have a lot of work to do in the country for an efficient administrative capacity to manage a dynamic and modern state.

You will be able to read here, in the coming weeks, a summary of my work in the European Parliament from 2019 until now.
More or less, despite the pandemic and under the sign of the crises we all went through in these years – everything we did was with Romania and Romanians in mind. Which I intend to continue to represent with the same good faith.

Mihai Tudose, PSD MEP, S&D Group in the European Parliament

https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu