Professor Vasile Puscas, Romania's former chief negotiator with the European Union, told AGERPRES that Romania's accession to the eurozone should become the country's next national project.

'As of January 1, 2026, Bulgaria is the 21st member state of the eurozone. Personally, I congratulate our southern neighbor and acknowledge that a competition that has lasted for over three decades today shows a ranking favorable to Bulgaria. I experienced this competition between the two states from the early 1990s, when, in Washington DC, I was negotiating the restoration by the U.S. of Most Favored Nation status for Romania. I also experienced this competition in the early 2000s, when I was negotiating Romania's accession to the EU. Although Bulgaria had more favorable circumstances, we managed to secure for Romania the European Council's approval to sign the Accession Treaty at the same time, on December 17, 2004. After Romania's EU accession, which took place simultaneously with Bulgaria on January 1, 2007, the pace and intensity of the European integration process depended overwhelmingly on how the governments of the two countries implemented European legislation and policies. Romania and Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area together, and I consider that [Interior] Minister Catalin Predoiu deserves special credit,' said Vasile Puscas.

According to him, Romania's accession to the eurozone would be particularly beneficial for stability, financial-budgetary discipline and for placing Romanian society on a path of sustainable economic and social development.

'Now, Bulgaria is a eurozone member and has received a development bonus and an anchor in the Eurogroup, while Romania doesn't even have a credible horizon to pursue in its domestic development policies. I don't say this in order to dramatize, but as an encouragement to the institutions of the Romanian state, business communities and especially Romania's leaders to reflect on whether joining the eurozone would not be the most valuable national project for the coming years. I have seen that opinion polls show that Romanians both at home and abroad would like Romania to be in the eurozone as well. But beyond this desire, meeting the eurozone accession criteria would mean stability and financial-budgetary discipline, placing Romanian society on the path of advanced sustainable economic and social development. I would end with a rhetorical question: Who wouldn't want such a national project?!,' Vasile Puscas emphasized. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marius Septimiu Avram; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)