Romania PM seeks early polls as EU drive stalls

BUCHAREST - Romania's six-month old centrist government says it would call snap elections to seek a stronger mandate for reforms needed to join the European Union.

The surprise move comes after a key judiciary reform was blocked through the courts by the ex-communist opposition, increasing the risk the Balkan country will miss its goal of joining the EU in January 2007.

"Justice reform is now blocked. The solution is to go back to the voters again...and to wait for their verdict," Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu told reporters.

The government managed to pass the judiciary reform, which would free judges from political patronage and make their appointments more transparent, through parliament in June, making a crucial step towards the EU.

But the ex-communist left, in power until it was ousted in elections last December, challenged the law in the Constitutional Court, which ruled on Wednesday that some provisions were unconstitutional.

EU diplomats and analysts say the court's ruling showed that parts of the judiciary had close links with the opposition and resisted reforms that would free the country from a web of political patronage going back to communist times.

"The court's ruling was questionable to say the least," one Western diplomat in Bucharest said.

Romania and fellow Balkan nation Bulgaria have already signed accession treaties envisaging their EU entry in 2007 although the bloc repeatedly warned them membership might be postponed for a year unless reforms accelerate.

In June, it sent both countries warning letters, identifying several areas where preparations were lagging behind schedule.

EU Enlargement Commisioner Olli Rehn said on Wednesday neither country could afford to waste a day's work.

"Ensuring compliance with the accession requirements by January 2007 will be a very demanding challenge in the next 17 months. Every day, every week, every month counts," he told the European Parliament.

Some analysts say snap elections in Romania and protracted wrangling in Bulgaria over the next government following inconclusive elections last month increased the risk the two countries would indeed miss the EU boat again.

They failed to join the first wave of eastward enlargement which saw 10 mostly ex-communist nations enter last year.

But Tariceanu insisted early elections did not have to result in delayed EU entry and could give his centrist alliance more clout to implement reforms if they increase the government's thin majority in parliament.

"Romania's EU entry is not under threat from early elections, the Constitutional Court's decision is what put a brake on this process," Tariceanu said.

"We will go to the polls to strengthen our parliamentary majority. Romania needs a clear majority without ambiguities to continue on the reform path." Opinion polls indicate the centrists would make further gains on the opposition Social Democrats (PSD), whose four years in power were marred by corruption and slow reforms.

Financial market analysts said that despite the threat of an EU delay, early elections could be positive for Romania.

"The good news is that fresh elections would probably allow the alliance to secure a (clear) majority in parliament," Martin Blum, analyst at Bank Austria, said in a note. "Ultimately we believe fresh elections will be market-positive."

- REUTERS