Romania and Bulgaria [print sheet]
Last updated: 21/08/08

Romania and Bulgaria are neighbouring countries in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria has borders with Greece, Turkey, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Romania borders Moldova, Ukraine and Hungary. Both nations also border Serbia and the Black Sea. Until 1989 they were both under communist rule and were members of the Warsaw Pact group, aligned with the USSR. Having become democratic states, they became members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 2004 and, on 1 January 2007, became the latest states to join the European Union.

Communist rule in Romania ended on Christmas Day 1989 with the execution of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Earlier in the same year, Bulgaria's Communist leader, Todor Zhivkov left office. The events triggered the beginnings of democratic reform and in 1991 both countries adopted new constitutions establishing democratic structures and a market economy. Romania changed its constitution again in 2003 in order to bring its law in line with EU standards.

Nonetheless both countries suffered from a slow pace of economic reform and continued political corruption in the aftermath of communism. Bulgaria, in particular, had severe economic difficulties during the 1990s, which saw 600,000 Bulgarians, many of them qualified professionals, leave the country. However, after applying for EU membership in 1995, it gradually stabilised, particularly between 2001-5 under the leadership of former Tsar Simeon II, Simeon Sakskobuggotski. By 2005 the EU was satisfied that both Romania and Bulgaria had embraced sufficient reform for their Accession Treaties to be ratified. On 1 January 2007 both became full members of the EU.

Romania and Bulgaria are both semi-presidential republics. In both countries executive powers are shared between the President and the government, which is headed by the Prime Minister. The Presidents of Romania and Bulgaria are directly elected and serve as the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. However, they cannot initiate legislation, only return laws proposed by Parliament for reconsideration. In Bulgaria the Parliament is unicameral and consists of 240 deputies, elected every four years. In Romania there are two chambers - the Senate, which has 137 members, and the Chamber of Deputies, which has 332 members.

The current Bulgarian President is Georgi Parvanov, who was re-elected in October 2006. The government, called the Council of Ministers, is currently a coalition of the National Movement for Simeon II, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the Socialist Party. The PM is Sergey Stanishev, leader of the Socialist Party.

Romania faced political turmoil after parliament, on instigation of the Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, suspended the incumbent President Traian Basescu on 19 April 2007 for 'violating the constitution'. However, this followed Basescu publicly citing a note written by Tariceanu asking him to 'have a word with prosecutors' investigating a friend of his. Basescu remained suspended until 19th May 2007, when a referendum reversed the decision.

When the Commission reached its final decision to admit Romania and Bulgaria into the EU, it was tempered by a concern over incomplete reform. In fact, the Commission has threatened to impose penalties unless both governments continue necessary reforms in their justice systems, taxation and agriculture. These include the possibility of withholding €41bn in development funds earmarked for the two countries up to 2013. High-level corruption is also an issue of concern, exemplified by the 2007 debacle in Romania between President Tarieanu and PM B?sescu. In May 2008, EU representatives examined the judicial systems of the two countries and as a result it suspended funding to Bulgaria until it reduces its level of corruption. In September 2008 Romania's Labour Minister was sacked for bribery.

Both countries tend to blame their continued problems on the legacy of communist-era governments and the disruption caused by the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. The EU's main concern is that a failure to address shortcomings on the part of Bulgaria or Romania, will undermine the values the EU is itself supposed to stand for.

• Bulgaria's population is currently shrinking by 0.86% p.a.
• 25% of the Romanian population was estimated to be living below the poverty line in 2005.
• Both Romanian and Bulgarian economic growth has averaged between 4 - 5% since 2000.

‘The target is not simply to get in but to create a Romania that resembles Germany or France or the UK. We can’t stop here.’ – Miahai Razvan Ungu-Reanu, Romanian Foreign Minister, 2006