Le Figaro - Denials under France’s Pressures

French daily newspaper Le Figaro states that the Presidency’s denials regarding the statements of Traian Basescu in the article in the Financial Times have been made at the request of Paris.

OPINION. The French External Affairs Minister said that Basescu has no "European reflexes".

On April 19, the British imposing daily newspaper Financial Times wrote that the Romanian President, Traian Basescu, warned France not to admonish Romania due to its relations with Great Britain and the United States and that Basescu had stated he wanted a "special relation" with London and Washington for improvements in the security of the Black Sea region and had declared himself a supporter of the British liberal economical strategies. However, the presidential counselor, Adriana Saftoiu, has stated in the same day that the President "hadn’t warned France about admonishing Romania" and "neither had he said that President Chirac insulted Romania".

REPLIES

"The duel" of the talks between Bucharest and Paris continues in an article from yesterday’s French newspaper Le Figaro, which says that "Romania will sign on Monday its Adherence Treaty to the European Union under cramped auspices". According to Le Figaro, "on Wednesday, passing through Paris, the Romanian Minister of European Affairs, Ene Dinga, was scolded by its French counterpart, Mrs. Claude Haigner… Paris requested for a denial, which came on Wednesday", and reffered to the presidential statements in Financial Times.

"Elected in December, Traian Basescu, who doesn’t hide his American tropism, has caused some teeth gnashing in the EU, evoked, among his priorities, the initiation of a "Bucharest-London-Washington axis". France, which has always been the main supporter of Bucharest in its laborious efforts of adherence, has been saddened by this. During his visit to Bucharest at the end of February, the Minister of External Affairs, Michel Barnier, has said it. Traian Basescu has no "European reflexes", the French minister seemed to think. He mistakes the "alliance" for "submission" to the Americans", says the author of the article.

EXPLANATIONS

Asking itself about what is the reason for which President Basescu "pinches" France periodically, Le Figaro reads that he "wants to make his country a regional force and, like Poland, who staked before its adherence on a tight partnership with the USA in Iraq to consolidate its position in Europe, he too relies on the Americans to reach his goals. The great competition of nowadays between the USA and Russia in the former Soviet space offers him this chance". "Romania has to play a key-geo-strategic role. NATO member since two years ago, Romania declares itself ready to house American military bases. This issue has been discussed upon in the latest three years. The interest is crucial: the improvement in the security of the Black Sea region and the democratization of the riparian countries, three of which, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, try to get rid of the Russian trusteeship, the author argues. Moreover, says Le Figaro, "Bucharest has proposed to NATO to extend to the Black Sea the "Active Endeavour" operation, which takes care of the current sea traffic in the Mediterranean Sea. Turkey rejected it, So does France", the author of the article adds.

ROMANIA’S CHANCE

The French newspaper counts the President’s successes until the present: "Romania has already got back with the little Moldova, which dreams at integrating in the EU, and Basescu will go to Chisinau today together with the Ukrainian President, Viktor Iuscenko, to take part in the GUAM summit". "This organization, with little activity by now, could reborn due to the Americans, who, in order to compete against the Russian influence, want to make it a favorable sub-region of the occidental side. Romania. Which will take part in this summit as an observer, could find itself a place to live up to its expectations" concludes Le Figaro.