gheorghe, romania

In Romania, Liliana Codruta met Gheorghe, a 30 years old construction worker. Like many of his generation, Gheorghe has chosen to live and work in Western Europe, not so much because he was attracted by it than because he was pushed in the back by the crisis his country is facing.

Question: What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about EU?

Gheorghe: My first thought was that we are going to have a better life, probably closer to the Western level�.but now, when we see the problems that Hungaria and Poland are facing it is totally discouraging� I saw how the governments of these two countries aligned the prices for goods and services at the same level with the EU without any consideration for salaries. It is impossible to pay the goods and services at a higher price with a very low salary. The Romanian government did the same and no rise for salaries has ever been announced�I guess this policy was imposed by the EU as a condition for joining the Union.

Question: Were the needs of Romania to join the EU discussed a lot on the TV stations?

Gheorghe: No, the needs of my country to join the European Union were not specifically discussed. In fact, the decision had been taken by the government. The citizens were never asked if they want to join or not. Moreover the people from the Romanian regions are never asked. I guess that any social questionnaires that are being made are realized only in Bucharest�.You know, the life standard and salaries in Bucharest are higher than in any part of the country. It is not the reality that those questionnaires show� The TV did not discuss enough this theme and not in a way that is understandable by every one of us.

Question: Do you know how the EU works?

Gheorghe: Yes. The leaders from the European institutions do not debate the joining criteria they just impose them. And after joining, the breach of those criteria leads to penalties or to a closure of any financial help from the EU.

Question: Is it ok for you to know that the majority of the legal reglementation will come from Brussels?

Gheorghe: No, because Brussels can�t actually know the situation in our country, the difficulties we have and what exactly we are going through. The leaders in Brussels know only what our national parliament wanted to show them. The real problems of my country have been hidden�.

Question: Do you agree to have a common language in the EU?

Gheorghe: I agree if this doesn�t mean the annulment of my own language. It would be good for all Europeans to speak a common language but only at the working place or so and not really in the family where we should all speak our national language.

Question: On what do you think that the EU should focus in the future?

Gheorghe: If they imposed the high prices they should also be able to impose a rise in the salaries so that every one could afford a decent life.

Question: Do you agree to have a European army?

Gheorghe: Yes, for peace and security maintaining.

Question: How do you find the emigration phenomenon?

Gheorghe: I find it very bad. As I said, because of the high prices imposed by EU and the low salaries schemes the Romanians must go away from their country. Do you think it is easy for us to go? In the same time the Romanian State also loses brains and work force�in this moment there are over 2 million Romanian people outside the country and the number is rising� legally or illegally. Moreover our state is forced to accept very cheap work force from other countries, like for instance the Chinese�

Question: Do you find EU an example of democracy?

Gheorghe: No, not at all. In any foreign country from the EU, people like me, from Romania are disconsidered. The racism is really high�We are called to be criminals of different types. All of us. It is not only a common person from those countries that does it. The EU officials also do this and this is reflected in the laws they give for ��special�� persons like Romanians.

Question: What do you think that the EU should do for the young people?

Gheorghe: The young people should be financially supported in continuing their lives in Romania�on the other hand a solution should be found for them not to emigrate that much because, you see, there is no real chance for them to make a good future in the West. They are also disconsidered�.the intellectual level is considered to be lower than the level of young people in the West�.and so, there is no possibility for them to build a career.