Father Dietger Demuth, director of Renovabis, the German humanitarian organization of aid to the countries of Eastern Europe, has welcomed the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the EU. “Their entry into the EU at the start of the year shows that Bulgaria and especially Romania historically and culturally belong to the community of European peoples”, declared Demuth. “An immemorial bond that had been suddenly broken at the time of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War has now been re-established”, he continued. The head of Renovabis said he was convinced that the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU would have positive repercussions in the long term, in terms of political and economic development and consequently of the social situation of the citizens of the two countries. Bulgaria and Romania will not be a political football for the EU” to exploit, he said, illustrating his remarks in the light of the many years’ experience of Renovabis with its own project partners in the two countries, in which the association has funded, last year alone, a total of 158 projects for some 2.2 million euros. Though stressing his satisfaction about the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, Demuth recalled that Croatia still remains outside the door: “We cannot forget this country on the south-eastern frontier of the EU”, he said, “since entry into the EU in the short term would mean for Croatia and for its people a great step forward towards peace both at the national level and at that of the whole region”.
