President Iohannis: Romania will not accept multi-speed Europe proposals

Romania will not accept proposals leading to a two-speed or a multi-speed Europe, President Klaus Iohannis argued during the talks he had with Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council. “Such options will only deepen the divisions between the member states,” according to a press release of the Romanian presidency.

Donald Tusk was in Romania on October 13, and met with President Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace. He is currently consulting members of the European Council to prepare a roadmap document on the steps that need to be undertaken in the process of consolidating the European Union. The document will be discussed at further reunions of the Council.

This March, the European Commission presented a White Paper on the Future of Europe, which includes five scenarios for the way the European Union could evolve by 2025. The scenario of a two-speed European Union was one of them.

President Iohannis argued that the principle of inclusivity needs to play an essential part in the process of consolidating the European Union. He also pleased for a “united, powerful, cohesive and coherent” Europe that is closer to its citizens and has a strong global profile. “This desire will define Romania’s actions throughout the period it will hold the presidency of the European Union Council in the first semester of 2019,” the Romanian presidency said.

The preparation of an EU summit in Sibiu in 2019 was another topic approached at the meeting between Iohannis and Tusk.

During his State of the Union speech in Strasbourg this September, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker proposed the organization of a special EU summit in the Romanian city of Sibiu, on March 30, 2019, one day after the triggering of the Brexit Article 50.

(Photo source: presidency.ro)

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