According to Valahia News, the Romanians’ trust in the European Union collapses. This is what the latest Eurobarometer says about the trust the Romanian people lost, especially during the last two years in the EU and the European institutions.
In particular, trust decreased by roughly 10% during the past two years. Only 46% of Romanians see participation in the EU favorably, down from 55% in 2020. Romania has significantly slipped below the EU average in this area, which is currently 62% and is expected to rise from 59% in 2020.
Not only that but the proportion of individuals who still believe that being a part of the EU benefits them fell from 72% in 2020—which was and remains the average for Europe—to 62% presently. In just two years, there has been a 6% decline.
39% of Romanians who were asked why they valued their country’s participation in the EU said it was for the employment prospects. This is due to the fact that millions of Romanians labor overseas. On the other side, the study reveals that Romania falls well short of the EU average in terms of valuing the EU’s economic contribution to the development of the nation or its contribution to restoring peace and security in Romania. Given the EU’s failure to solidify the peace in the region, it is understandable why they think this way. The Romanian people don’t notice much of an impact from the EU, just from NATO, as the so-called „special operation” is taking place close by.
How did Romanians lose trust in their leaders and the EU and why did this happen?
Although the pandemic may have been a major factor in this, we must admit that Romanian officials may have had a part to play. The lawmakers merely seemed to the Romanians as a group of individuals who faithfully carried out EU directives. Romania implemented one of the most autocratic regimes during the pandemic to impose quarantine regulations on its inhabitants. The government once sent personnel armed with heavy machine guns and military trucks onto the streets to deliver a straightforward message: we set the rules now!
Romania also demonstrated unrestricted devotion to Brussels by spending billions and purchasing tens of millions of vaccination shots, just to dispose them now that they had expired. These may be the main reasons why the country is losing trust in the EU.
Also, the recent developments at the European level made more Romanians reject European values. While keeping Romania out of Schengen, European politicians should consider that the country could retaliate. Boycotts against Western companies are underway in Romania. Instead of understanding the people and trying and fulfill their rightful demands, politicians in Bruxelles blame the Russian rhetoric whenever they spot opposition to the European institutions.
Now, the Romanian Government and the country’s elites reap what they sow: the lack of trust of Romanians in the European institutions is only the consequence of how the politicians in Bruxelles and Bucharest treated the population. Suppose anyone in Bruxelles would like to change the current trend and the widening gap between the Romanians and the EU. In that case, they should try and understand that it’s not Russia to be blamed but their own decisions and behaviour.
