ROMANIA: Romania's government tried to put on a brave face yesterday after missing the European Union's "functioning market economy" target, but the press did not mince words in calling it a major setback for the country.
"We Flunked Integration" said the banner headline in a popular daily, Evenimentul Zilei, and the financial paper Bursa said on its front page: "Corruption - Yes, Functioning Market Economy - Not Yet". The formerly communist country was told in an annual European Commission progress report on Wednesday that it must deal with corruption and speed up economic, administrative and judiciary reforms in order to earn accession by 2004.
The report increased pressure on the nation of 22 million, the only EU candidate not to have earned the tag, to push on with harsh measures if it wants to close accession negotiations in 2004 and join the bloc in 2007.
The government tried to sweeten the pill, saying the report was not all negative as it recognised progress made, and that keeping the 2007 target date was a success.
"The country report was very positive for Romania," the Prime Minister, Mr Adrian Nastase, told a party meeting. "We have every reason to be satisfied with it." Analysts and the Romanian press saw things differently.
The government has been hesitant about applying harsh structural reforms on the impoverished population, which blames corruption for most of its problems. - (Reuters)
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