AHN Europe: Inside The Expansion
Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer Paris, France (AHN) - With the European Commission (EC) all but assuring the expansion of the European Union (EU) to include Romania and Bulgaria by 2007, the people across the continent are voicing their reactions. In Bulgaria, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev says joining the EU is the final end to the Soviet bloc, calling entry "the genuine and final fall of the Berlin Wall for Bulgaria." According to the report, Bulgaria and Romania have "made further progress with macroeconomic stabilization and economic reform." European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso writes in the report that both nations, if they stay on track, should be able "to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union." Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu was guarded, saying, "Romanians have a reason to be proud of themselves," but, "it would be a typical Romanian mistake to say we have our bags already in the cart and we no longer have obligations." John Gearing, from Liverpool in the U.K. tells the BBC, "I think Romania is certainly ready for the EU - it's like any other European country and has some great qualities." According to EuroNews, on the streets of Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, opinions about joining the EU were mixed. One man said he wanted to go to work in another country - if possible the UK, Ireland or Scandinavia. In Romania, too, there was enthu |
