Romanian withdrawal from the European Union

Last updated

Location of Romania in the European Union EU-Romania.svg
Location of Romania in the European Union

It has been proposed that Romania withdraw from the European Union (EU), this sometimes being known as Roexit or Romexit [1] (with both being portmanteaus of "Romania" and "exit"). [2]

Contents

History

In 2018, Daniel Dragomir, suggested on Facebook that Romania should leave the European Union (EU). Dragomir, a nationalist against the anti-corruption policies of the country and a former Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) member, stated that EU membership was affecting Romanian national sovereignty and that Brussels was "robbing from us". This statement has been proven to be false, as Romania then received more money than it gave to the EU. He said this after Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission, criticized the justice reforms that were then taking place in Romania. Dragomir published a list of 10 reasons why the country should leave the EU. [3] [4]

Some political parties in Romania advocate the proposal as well. An example is Noua Dreaptă, a far-right party, opposes Romanian presence in the EU and NATO. [5]

However, some pro-EU politicians like Corina Crețu, a former European Commissioner for Regional Policy, criticized the idea, calling it a "luxury" and listing several moments in which the EU has helped the country. [6] Victor Negrescu, the then Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs, said the idea is not taken into account at political level in the country and that it has only been created to "stir controversy". He instead advocated for the integration of Romania in European politics. [2]

In December 2020, the Eurosceptic party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which has been described as far-right, entered the Romanian Parliament for the first time and became the 4th largest party in the country, although it is unclear whether it supports leaving the EU or not. [7]

In 2021, the senator Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă, a former AUR member then affiliated with the Romanian Nationhood Party (PNR), expressed her support for a Romanian withdrawal from the EU. [8] Furthermore, some examples of non-politicians supporting this include Romanian actor Mihai Mălaimare  [ ro ], who expressed his support for the withdrawal of Romania from the EU in 2022; [9] and Romanian actor and director Dan Puric, who has affirmed that the EU will fall, that it has a neo-Marxist ideology, that it is opposed to Christianity and that it has the objective of harming Romania. [10]

Public opinion

Euroscepticism is generally not very popular among Romanians. According to a poll from 2015, 65.6% of Romanians thought that joining the EU had been beneficial for their country. This represented a very notable change compared to a 2013 poll; only 35% saw the EU as beneficial. Furthermore, 58% agreed with the adoption of the euro in 2015 compared to 35% in 2013. [11] Later, in a poll conducted in 2022, 71.1% of respondents said they would not vote to leave the EU compared with 25.2% who would, which again represented an increase of support to the EU among Romanians. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euroscepticism</span> Body of criticism of the European Union

Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies and seek reform, to those who oppose EU membership and see the EU as unreformable. The opposite of Euroscepticism is known as pro-Europeanism, or European Unionism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klaus Iohannis</span> President of Romania since 2014

Klaus Werner Iohannis, sometimes referred to by his initials KWI in the Romanian press, is a Romanian politician, physicist, and former physics teacher who has been serving as president of Romania since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom</span> Criticism/Opposition to the European Union in the United Kingdom

Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom is a continuum of belief ranging from the opposition to certain political policies of the European Union to the complete opposition to the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union. It has been a significant element in the politics of the United Kingdom (UK). A 2009 Eurobarometer survey of EU citizens showed support for membership of the EU was lowest in the United Kingdom, alongside Latvia and Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unification of Moldova and Romania</span> Movement for uniting Moldova and Romania

The unification of Moldova and Romania is a popular concept and hypothetical unification in the two countries that began during the Revolutions of 1989. The Romanian Revolution in 1989 and the independence of Moldova in 1991 further contributed to the development of a movement for the unification of the two Romanian-speaking countries. The question of reunification is recurrent in the public sphere of the two countries, often as a speculation, both as a goal and a danger. Though historically Romanian support for unification was high, a March 2022 survey following the Russian invasion of Ukraine indicated that only 11% of Romania's population supports an immediate union, while over 42% think it is not the right moment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Withdrawal from the European Union</span> Legal process of Article 50 of the Treaty of European Union

Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) provides for the possibility of an EU member state leaving the European Union "in accordance with its own constitutional requirements".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moldova–Romania relations</span> Bilateral relations

Modern Moldova-Romania relations emerged after the Republic of Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Pan-Romanianism has been a consistent part of Moldovan politics, and was adopted in the Popular Front of Moldova's platform in 1992. The official language of Moldova is Romanian. The peoples of the two countries share common traditions and folklore, including a common name for the monetary unit – the leu. At present, relations between the two states are exceptionally friendly, especially on account of the pro-Romanian administration of Maia Sandu in Moldova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brexit</span> The United Kingdoms withdrawal from the European Union

Brexit was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Following a referendum held in the UK on 23 June 2016, Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020. The UK, which joined the EU's precursors the European Communities (EC) on 1 January 1973, is the only member state to have withdrawn from the EU. Following Brexit, EU law and the Court of Justice of the European Union no longer have primacy over British laws. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 retains relevant EU law as domestic law, which the UK can amend or repeal.

The People's Movement Party is a minor extra-parliamentary national-conservative and social conservative political party in Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch withdrawal from the European Union</span> Conjecture that the Netherlands might leave the EU

Dutch withdrawal from the European Union refers to the hypothesis that the Netherlands might withdraw from the European Union. The most recent opinion poll on the subject, in January 2020, showed a 33% minority favouring withdrawal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euroscepticism in the Republic of Ireland</span> Criticism/Opposition to the European Union in Ireland

Euroscepticism is a minority view in Ireland. Opinion polls held in the country between 2017 and 2024 indicated between 70% and 90% support for continued membership of the European Union (EU), and a 2021 'Eurobarometer' report indicating that 75% of poll respondents had a "positive image of the EU".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PRO Romania</span> Political party in Romania

PRO Romania is an extra-parliamentary social liberal political party in Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 European Parliament election in Romania</span>

The 2024 European Parliament election in Romanian was held on 9 June 2024. This was the fifth European Parliament election to be held in Romania since the country's accession to the European Union in 2007 and the first since Brexit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danish withdrawal from the European Union</span> Hypothetical withdrawal from the EU by Denmark

Danish withdrawal from the European Union is the hypothesis that Denmark might leave the European Union (EU). Leaving the EU is officially supported by just two of the political parties represented in the Danish Parliament, with less than 8% of the total seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance for the Union of Romanians</span> Romanian political party

The Alliance for the Union of Romanians is a right-wing populist and nationalist political party active in Romania and Moldova. It was founded on 19 September 2019 ahead of the 2020 Romanian local and legislative elections. The party president is George Simion. The party ran in the local elections, not obtaining many votes and only winning in three towns. However, in the legislative elections, the AUR won 9% of the votes in all of Romania and its diaspora, thus becoming the fourth-largest party in the country at the central level, which surprised observers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish withdrawal from the European Union</span> Proposal for Poland to leave the EU

A Polish withdrawal from the European Union, or Polexit, is the name given to a hypothetical Polish withdrawal from the European Union. The term was coined after Brexit, the process of Britain's withdrawal from the EU which took place between 2016 and 2020. Opinion polls held in the country, between 2016 and 2021, indicated majority support for continued membership of the European Union (EU). A 2022 survey indicated that "[at] least eight-in-ten adults in Poland" believed that the EU "promotes peace, democratic values and prosperity". The 2023 Polish parliamentary election was won by a coalition of predominantly pro-EU parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Simion</span> Romanian activist and politician

George Nicolae Simion is a Romanian right-wing politician and civic activist. He is the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a Romanian political party that gained prominence after its unexpectedly strong showing in the 2020 Romanian legislative election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Șoșoacă</span> Romanian lawyer and politician

Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă is a Romanian lawyer and far-right politician. Iovanovici Șoșoacă rose to prominence as an anti-vaccine activist during the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, she was elected to the Senate of Romania. As of July 2024, she is a member of the European Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Romanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Romania on 1 December 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungarian withdrawal from the European Union</span> Proposed withdrawal of Hungary from the European Union

It has been proposed that Hungary withdraw from the European Union (EU), a scenario sometimes referred to as Huxit, Huexit, Hunxit, and Hunexit, all being portmanteaus of "Hungary" and "exit". In Hungary, a member of the EU since 2004, right-wing populist politicians have drawn comparisons between the EU and the former Soviet Union (USSR), seen as a past oppressor in the country. Furthermore, democratic backsliding is a phenomenon present in Hungary. As a result, it has been suggested that Hungary should leave the EU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S.O.S. Romania</span> Political party in Romania

S.O.S. Romania is a far-right political party in Romania that is ideologically right-wing populist, Romanian nationalist, socially conservative, and irredentist. The party was founded in November 2021 by Maricel Viziteu and Adeluța and Gabriel Gib, the latter being a former member of the Romanian Socialist Party (PSR). It became known on the Romanian political landscape in May 2022 after senator Diana Șoșoacă, elected on the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) list, joined the party and later became its leader.

References

  1. Coman, Ramona (25 March 2019). "La Roumanie, le pays où le peuple est plus pro-européen que ses élites". The Conversation (in French).
  2. 1 2 "Romanian minister: RO-EXIT does not exist". Romania Insider . 9 October 2018.
  3. Gavin, Harvey (3 October 2018). "ROEXIT: Could Romania leave the EU? Ex-spy demands exit – "Brussels is ROBBING us"". Daily Express .
  4. "ROEXIT: Former intelligence officer turned politician proposes Romania's exit from EU". Romania Insider. 2 October 2018.
  5. Totok, William (25 March 2018). "Între legionarism deghizat și naționalism-autoritar". Radio Europa Liberă Moldova (in Romanian).
  6. "Cretu calls RoExit a 'luxury' and says Romania could not even consider it". Independent Balkan News Agency. 30 October 2018.
  7. MacDowall, Andrew (25 December 2020). "The center holds in Romania, but a new far-right party spells trouble". World Politics Review.
  8. Toma, Alina (27 October 2021). "Diana Șoșoacă cere condamnarea lui Raed Arafat, scoaterea României din UE și demiterea tuturor autorităților statului. Cum arată proiectul delirant al senatoarei". Ziare.com (in Romanian).
  9. Despa, Oana (5 January 2022). ""Roexit" | O idee hrănită cu like-uri. Cât de mult a crescut propaganda anti-UE pe Facebook". Radio Europa Liberă România (in Romanian).
  10. Cartianu, Grigore (10 February 2019). "Dan Puric, slăvit de propaganda rusă. Puric: "Șandramaua asta de Comunitate Europeană o să se facă praf și pulbere"". Ziariștii (in Romanian).
  11. Pușcaș, Florin (8 May 2015). "SONDAJ – Euroscepticismul nu prinde la români". Știri pe surse (in Romanian).
  12. "IANUARIE 2022: Neîncrederea publică: Vest vs. Est, ascensiunea curentului naționalist în era dezinformării și fenomenului știrilor false – Ediția a IV-a. Capitolul 4: Național vs. European. Capitolul 5: Patriotism/naționalism economic" (in Romanian). INSCOP Research. 31 January 2022.