Romania has to assert identity in new geopolitical context, fmr PMs Dancila, Nastase say

The war at the border and the attitude of our country in this context of the new global and geostrategic challenges were the themes addressed by former social-democrat prime ministers Viorica Dancila and Adrian Nastase, who believe that Romania must assert its identity more firmly.

"I did not intend to increase the controversies, however I can not fail to notice a certain incapacity of those who have been leading for some time the destinies of our country, in the sense of managing this deeply unfavorable international climate, from the position of a relevant and responsible regional actor, incapacity probably fueled by errors (...) unsettled by the Romanian decision-making elite. (...) I invite you to reflect together whether Romania really has an attitude and, beyond the fact that we like to believe or propagate the idea that Romania is on the front line in the European plan, I invite you to reflect on why, however, Romania behaves like an edge country, when in fact it is in the middle," Viorica Dancila said.

"Romania must return to the outposts of maintaining peace and demonstrate its capacities for flexibility, creativity and consistency in its efforts to engage in political and economic processes at regional, European and even global level, which will allow it to become more than a bridge of communication," Viorica Dancila added.

In Romania, in recent years, there is an identity problem in many aspects, and our country will have, in the next period, to permanently combine the foreign policy strategy with the defense strategy in order to be prepared for possible deteriorations of the situation, said, in turn, the president of the European Foundation Titulescu, former social-democrat Prime Minister Adrian Nastase.

"We have the feeling that the security umbrella we have is somewhat sufficient, the speeches from NATO will defend us in a definitive way. However, I believe that we will have to constantly combine the foreign policy strategy with the defense strategy in order to be prepared for possible deteriorations of the situation in the next period," Nastase stressed.

According to him, a major crisis of the international law is evident, which is no longer taken into account even with reference to the relationship between the US and Russia, between Ukraine and Russia.

"This makes us think, at least, of the period 1934 - 1936, with the risks we could suspect. (...) I think that, as far as we are concerned, at the EU level, NATO, of course there are common objectives, but they are determined by concrete action by the perception of danger. The perception of the danger, however, comes from the major actors of the Alliance and hence the need to try to introduce our own objectives within the strategists of these organizations," Nastase added.

He proposes that it is time for Romania to link the entry into Schengen to the situation regarding the movement of trucks and grain trucks in Ukraine.

"I don't want to say more, but I think we have to learn from the Hungarians as well as the way you can behave in order to achieve certain objectives of your own within an organization that is based on unanimity and sovereignty," Adrian Nastase emphasised.

Viorica Dancila and Adrian Nastase participated in the Forum Romania debate, organized at the Palace of the Parliament by the CRED Foundation, under the High Patronage of the Romanian Academy.