The Global Phoenix - Issue 2 April - June 2017 | Page 44

SPOTLIGHT ON EASTERN EUROPE:
ROMANIA
10 YEARS ON…
Elena Antoneac and Madalina Andrei;
Nestlers Group
This year Romania celebrated its first decade as a member of
the European Union; one of the most momentous events in
the modern day history of the country.
The accession to the EU came in recognition of numerous
efforts on Romania’s part to qualify, in terms of transitioning
to a market economy and accelerating democratic changes.
Although a decade has passed, European integration is
still an ongoing process, one that can be quite challenging
at times, and more so now that Romanian citizens are also
European citizens.
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT VS. ‘BRAIN
DRAIN’
The majority opinion amongst Romanians is that the main
advantage of EU membership is the freedom to move
wherever one wishes around Europe. Consequently,
numerous Romanians have chosen to relocate to different
EU countries during this ten year period, be it for work
opportunities or study purposes.
The value added by these migrants to the economies
and societies of their host countries is immense and
unquestionable; many of those deciding to move abroad
being skilled and highly-qualified professionals from various
sectors.
Naturally, the advantage of EU mobility for the individual is a
huge disadvantage for the collectivity due to the ’brain drain’
that followed the accession in 2007; just one example being
the almost 14,000 doctors that have left Romania since 2007!
According to a 2016 United Nations report, between the
years 2000 and 2015, Romania had the second fastest annual
growth rate of diaspora population in the world, after Syria.
In an attempt to tackle the ‘brain drain’ issue, the Romanian
government has implemented initiatives that encourage the
return of Romanians living elsewhere in Europe; hopefully we
will be begin to see positive results from this in the not too
distant future.
PAGE 44 www.theglobalphoenix.org