PSD’s Dragnea plays down FM Melescanu’s statements on joining the eurozone in 2022

Social-democrat chairman Liviu Dragnea has said on Monday that currently there is no government initiative to join the eurozone in 2022 and that he does not believe someone has started “such an adventure”, given that this is no easy project and one cannot speak about deadlines.

“It is a wish, a normal desire. To have an assumed project we should have had a deep analysis in parliament, of the central bank, of the government, a discussion with the presidency. This is our wish, but it is not an easy project and we cannot play games with it, thus we cannot speak about deadlines,” Liviu Dragnea said.

Asked if such an initiative would be started by the government, the PSD chair said: “As far as I know, I don’t believe someone has started such an adventure.”

Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu told Polish Rzeczpospolita daily that Romania may join the euro zone in 2022, once the incomes of its poorest citizens rise.

“Although today we meet all formal requirements, we could join the currency union even tomorrow. But we’re afraid that it will have a negative effect on the poorest, pensioners’ incomes,” he said. “I think that we will adopt the euro in five years, in 2022,” he added.

On the other hand, on Sunday, the Head of the European Commission Representation, Angela Filote stated that Romania has not completed the structural reforms it has undertaken, extremely important and we cannot talk about joining the eurozone before their completion.