Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-31-Speech-3-055"
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"en.20060531.9.3-055"2
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"Mr President, nobody needs reminding of how important the planned accession of Bulgaria and Romania into our ranks will be to the development of the European Union. We must be mindful of the fact that this is a momentous occasion, particularly in geopolitical and cultural terms. Both the candidate countries are on the Balkan Peninsula, which has historically been known as Europe’s soft underbelly. The accession of Bulgaria will also mean the EU entering the field of eastern culture.
The Community’s expansion in that direction should therefore be prudent and responsible. That is why I would like to warn against the recently-expressed reservations about the reforms in Romania and Bulgaria, which in my view are over the top. This is the only way in which ill-considered accusations against these countries regarding widespread corruption can be interpreted. Those who express such accusations should bear in mind that in Bulgaria and Romania, more than in any other European countries, corruption is a legacy of the Communist past. The post-Soviet structures, which remained untouched for many years, became a source of bribery and other criminal activity.
We should also bear in mind that Europe itself is partly responsible for this state of affairs, by not giving sufficient support to de-Communisation and vetting movements. The European Union has come into being thanks to the integration of nations. However, this is only possible through a mutual understanding of their legacies and problems, because that is the only way in which a partnership can be built."@en1
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