Uh… do you remember January 1, 2008? Because I sure fucking do. It’s when Romania became a full member of the European Union. Do you not remember this? Do you not understand what being a member MEANS? Because it’s not just billions of euros worth of free money (pave the streets! Renovate the park!). It doesn’t just mean unrestricted travel (no passport to go to London!) and it doesn’t mean more goods in the supermarket (yay my favorite French cheese!).
Guess what, dumb ass? It means you are in a legally binding union with the rest of the EU. It means that their laws have power over you. It means that you agreed to play by their rules. And it damn sure means that they have the right to make comments about how you are running your government.
If that’s too difficult for you to understand, pretend like the EU is a “country”. Well Romania is just one “judet” and Bruxelles is the capital of this “country”. Do you understand now? Romania isn’t on the moon, completely isolated and independent anymore. Nor is this the bad old Warsaw Pact communist days. This is a voluntary union. Maybe you forgot that word even though it’s in the title – European Union. Union means together. You signed up for this and you’re now united with the rest of Europe.
They have the RIGHT to talk about you and decide things about you. And guess what else? You get to vote at their summit meetings and you get to send deputies to the EU parliament and vote there too. It’s a two-way street. You get to “stick your nose” in their business and make sure they’re following the rules too. They’re not “outsiders”. You are all in this together.
Quit being so goddamn arrogant as to think only Romanians have a right to involve themselves in Romania’s business!
All Things Romania 
You’re perfectly right, Sam. But those comments below your article show that it was a mistake to accept Romania into the EU.
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It was no “mistake”, EU did that for the benefit of Western Europe.
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It was no mistake. They make a lot of money on Romania and Romanians. As ling as the money keep coming they couldn’t care less about anything else.
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i am sorry to say this but you are a political/politics ignoramus… when you will understand the basic framework in which this federation of states work…please feel free to discuss it, but till then, just don’t be another dilettante casting a really shallow and uninformed opinionated judgement… my best regards. (this article reminds me of all the so called “political analyst” who misinform on public romanian tv talk shows )
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Dear philosopheon, “this federation of states works” (not work), and “all the so called political analysts” (plural)…
Otherwise, I think it would be swell if you would enlighten all of us political ignorants as to how the EU works..
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Screw my language use. The idea behind my statement is that nowadays under the banner of freedom of speech, it is a bad custom to discuss politics/policies without being truly informed. I am not here to educate you in political science; it is your duty as a citizen to know how the system works. And also it is your duty to understand the context and the relevance of actions taken in the arena of diplomacy and international affairs. I was not trying to discourage no one; I was just trying to provoke a search for more information so that the analysis could be more accurate. I hope I didn’t offend anyone.
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Toate bune numai ca UE este – in principiu – o uniune liber consimtita si nu un profesor care da lectii, iar noi un scolar care trebuie sa lase capul in jos ori de cate ori i se reproseaza ceva. Fiecare tara e libera sa aiba opinia ei si sa apere valorile in care crede – cel putin pana in momentul in care se adopta o pozitie oficiala cvasiunanima la nivelul UE.
A mai zis cineva, Marea Britanie, spre exemplu, a semnat aproape toate tratatele/acordurile UE cu diferite rezerve (asta inseamna – juridic vorbind – ca accepta sa aplice tratatul respectiv, cu exceptia anumitor prevederi cu care nu e de acord).
Franta, ca alt exemplu, refuza de multi ani sa aplice o anumita hotarare a CEDO preferand sa plateasca amenzi pentru asta etc.
Asa ca de fapt nu conteaza decat raspunsul la urmatoarea intrebare: esti suficient de puternic/inteligent sa-ti impui punctul de vedere?
Sigur, pentru cetatenii tai conteaza si daca punctul de vedere pe care doresti sa-l impui e corect/benefic sau nu, dar n-as baga mana in foc ca politicienilor le pasa de asta.
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“Uh… do you remember January 1, 2008? Because I sure fucking do. It’s when Romania became a full member of the European Union.”
No, I sure fucking don’t. Because that’s NOT when Romania joined the EU. But I sure as hell remember January 1, 2007.
C’mon Sam, Dorin already pointed to this error. Can’t you correct it?
Anyway, January 1, 2007 is when the EU accepted Romania as a member, even if we were not ready to join yet (we still are behind many of the requirements). So, although I fully agree with your letter, I think that Europe is currently reaping what it sow…
Vai, ce bine!
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Heh, Sam if you think Romanians are bad when it comes to receiving criticism from other union states you should really listen to the British Tories.
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Always someone doing it worse elsewhere, right? :) :D
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No, I didn’t mean it as an excuse for Romanians :), I was just trying to point out that they are not the only case where this happens. Almost every country in the EU has some part of the electorate deeply disgruntled with the way the EU is going and not so receptive when it comes to receiving criticism.
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Whether the Romanian government enfranchises or disenfranchises Romanian expats is totally unrelated. I think the prerogative of any country is to look after its own interests. Germany and France do this. Romania does it too. Somehow I don’t think I will wake up tomorrow and hear stories about the legion, Hungarian sabotage, or the Americans coming to save everyone.
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oh, and it was 1st of January 2007 :)
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I can understand having a backbone and standing up for yourself but this is not the time to do it since we are the guilty party and we are failing at our obligations as a country.
Where was this backbone and stubborness when we had to negotiate with the IMF, with the USA on the visa issue and others, the contracts through which we sold our factories for pennies, huh?
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After Băsescu reelection, the Antena people started a huge campaign against the voting right of the people that are not in the country at the moment of the vote. Because, they said, they are not in touch with the realities of Romania.
Pretty much, you have the same feeling. But you know, experience shows that nationalism and socialism make good partnership. We had one in 1933, it was one party to remember; even the japs and the americans joined in! :)
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I disagree with you on this. Personally, I am ecstatic that Romania may finally be shedding its low self esteem and able to keep from being run over by its neighbors. Also, there is a marked difference between the western and eastern cultures within the EU and it’s not fair to point fingers across this cultural divide and say that “east must become west.” If the wealthy and better developed western nations got taken so easily then it’s a shame that the people and their leaders were so naive. They had every card in their favor and we can’t blame Romania for taking advantage – this is the nature of the world we live in. But I think the talk coming from Germany is just part of the same old Geo-political game. Let’s be realistic and see the Machiavellian power games for what they are. Or do you think that Romania was admitted to the EU because it was just a nice thing to do for them?
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Unfortunately, Romania will only shed its low self esteem when it will be standing up against others on things that we are right to stay behind and defend, not on things that go against everything we have signed up for when joining the union.
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then “East shall remain East!”
Open list, starting with the Ponta era:
1) http://www.adevarul.ro/financiar/Gazprom_intra_pe_piata_benzinariilor_din_Romania_0_730727305.html#
2) http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-politic-12778271-ziarul-austriac-die-presse-premierul-ponta-angajeaza-agentia-concernului-rus-gazprom-guvernului-moscova.htm
3) http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-esential-12674724-gazprom-teribilul-imperiu-carte-despre-energia-arma-sursa-putere-imbogatire-alesilor-unui-sistem.htm
Dear mister Anonymous you swallowed up the whole BS nationalism against the rich and imperialist countries. Now, see you in Moscow!
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4) http://www.romanialibera.ro/actualitate/politica/declaratie-soc-marga-putin-e-un-om-foarte-competent-ar-fi-bine-ca-liderii-din-europa-si-de-la-noi-sa-fie-la-fel-de-competenti-263207.html
5) http://www.romanialibera.ro/actualitate/europa/rusia-intra-in-jocul-suspendarii-presedintelui-270370.html
and counting…
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