Free movement within the EU

Britains having lifted labor market restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians continues to be a controversial issue in that country. The unjustified concern regarding a possible invasion of migrants was the topic for a new discussion on the matter in the

Bogdan Matei, 13.02.2014, 12:20

Figures are unarguable proof. In the UK, 77% of the EU migrants have a job, while the comparable figure for Britons is 72% and for non-EU migrants it stands at 60%. Statistical figures made public by the Vice President of the European Commission, Viviane Reding, might just set the record straight as regards the alleged risk of an invasion of foreigners, and might debunk the alarmist discourse of politicians and the media.

After the Poles, who have been at the center of a populist and xenophobic discourse over the past ten years, it’s now the Romanians’ and Bulgarians’ turn to be pointed at. Far from having invaded Britain or any other developed country, after the lifting, on January 1st, of the labor market restrictions, Romanians and Bulgarians are, according to Viviane Reding, net contributors in the countries where they work.

Moreover, in a debate hosted by the European Parliament on Wednesday, the EC Vice President said that the freedom of movement is a right enjoyed by all citizens, as a consequence of the fact that their country is a EU member and politicians have responsibilities in this respect. The politicians’ duty, Reding went on to say, it’s not only to underline the fact that Europe has values they have capitalized and developed on.

They also have the responsibility to fight against abuse, assist where needed and counteract public perceptions that are not founded on economic reality.

According to Viviane Reding, the main problem as far as integration is concerned is the Roma population. This is not only a problem of Romania and Bulgaria, the EC Vice President has explained, but of all European countries that are home to a total of 12 million Roma people. The Romanian MEP, political analyst Cristian Preda, is one of the initiators of the debate in the European Parliament. Cristian Preda has argued that in London, the intolerant discourse has often been taken over, for electoral purposes, by supposedly respectable politicians.

Cristian Preda: “There is an anti-European party that uses any opportunity it has, to build an identity. This party is the United Kingdom Independence Party. Unfortunately, there are several other parties that enjoy more credibility on the political stage, that are trying to increase their popularity by having a public discourse based on intolerance. This fact has been confirmed by all experts and politicians who spoke at the debate.”