European Union pressure on Romania to pass anti-corruption laws to secure admission to the bloc has exposed deep rifts in the ruling coalition, and only the hope of joining next year seems to be holding it together.
Romania has less than two weeks left to persuade the EU it is ready to join in 2007 as planned, but it may face a one-year delay if the European Commission, the EU executive, recommends one in a report later this month.
Last week, the EU issued a stern warning over the Romanian parliament's failure to establish an agency to control politicians' wealth, a crucial element of anti-graft reforms that the EU wants its prospective new member to carry out.
Despite Bucharest's pledges to create such an agency earlier this year, two small members of the four-party coalition - including the UDMR party representing ethnic Hungarians - have joined forces with the ex-communist opposition to slow its progress through parliament.
Analysts said this illustrated growing disagreement in the coalition over the fight against fraud, particularly at the top level, where some politicians may be afraid to see the reforms go as far as the EU considers necessary.
"The conservatives and the Hungarians have joined forces to water down the legislation. This is an attitude towards the agency which aims at protecting politicians who have wealth they cannot justify," said political analyst Stelian Tanase.
Romania and its neighbour Bulgaria missed the EU's first wave of eastward enlargement in 2004 because of slow reforms but, aside from last week's warning, Brussels has in the past praised Bucharest's record in fighting corruption.
Signs of progress include the investigation of politicians such as former prime minister Adrian Nastase, and this week's resignation of the army chief of staff who is also under investigation. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
Analysts said the fragile coalition was unlikely to risk timely accession by calling early elections, particularly after the EU slammed proposals for new polls a year ago.
Warnings from Brussels were probably aimed at putting more pressure on Bucharest to stick to its reforms rather than a signal that entry might be delayed, they said.
The EU had already postponed its final decision, originally expected in May, to give it more time to put pressure on Romania if necessary.
"The Commission's letter to the government is only aimed at giving a boost to reforms, chiefly to the adoption of the integrity agency bill," said Mircea Cosea of the Liberal party, a large grouping in the government.
The centrist coalition came to power in late 2004 on an anti-corruption ticket. Riddled with disagreements and policy differences, its parliamentary majority has remained fragile.
The debate over the anti-corruption agency is one of several instances this year when anti-graft efforts have wobbled in parliament, although most were approved in the end. Other recent rifts have appeared.
The head of the conservative party said earlier this week he wanted to start procedures to suspend president Traian Basescu, saying he was making "totalitarian propaganda". Analysts said it was virtually impossible that Basescu, Romania's most popular politician, could be pushed out due to complex procedures but the two politicians have been at loggerheads since the government took power.
"The coalition cannot continue like that. It shows Brussels the prime minister does not control his own coalition, said Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, analyst with independent think tank Romanian Academic Society.
Comments
Comments are closed.