site.btaRomanian MEP Sosoaca: Romania, Bulgaria Treated as Third World Countries When It Comes to Schengen

In an interview with BTA on Tuesday, Romanian MEP Diana Sosoaca said that Romania and Bulgaria are treated as third world countries when it comes to Schengen. On the first working day of the new European Parliament, Sosoaca, who is also a presidential candidate in Romania, appeared in the Strasbourg plenary wearing a Romanian traditional costume. Recently, the leader of the nationalist S.O.S. Romania party, known for its pro-Russian stance, was included in a Politico ranking of the most eccentric MEPs in the new European Parliament.

Here follows the full transcript of her interview with BTA: 

Ms Sosoaca, why did you choose to wear a Romanian traditional costume on the first working day of the new European Parliament?

Thank you for this question. I am a convinced nationalist and sovereigntist, and I think that every people, every country, should protect its identity, its traditions and its heritage. How can I achieve this alongside the 27 countries in the European Parliament? How do I identify Romania? Through traditional clothing. The most beautiful national costume in the world, in my opinion. And the most loved. I told myself that at the opening of the European Parliament, when we took office, I would be a Romanian in a traditional costume. It is an attribute brought by our ancestors, by those who fought so that we Romanians could have the right to vote. I expected all the nationalists, all the sovereigntists, to come dressed in the national costume of their country. It would have been the first sign to the EU to say, 'Stop here'.

But the idea of the European project is to be the same in difference.

We cannot be the same. We are unique. God made us in His image, but He gave us our own identity. Yes, it will be a very difficult, uphill battle. A thousand times harder than the one I fought in the Romanian Parliament. Where I was the only opposition in Parliament. It will be an unequal battle. Here, in the European Parliament, it is a dictatorship of the two groups that represent the majority. The other groups do not matter. Yes, they are in groups to absorb some money, to do conferences, to go to all sorts of warm countries to have fun. I have experience from the Romanian Parliament, where I never went on holiday, but other colleagues went to Dubai or the Maldives for Christmas. It is very interesting politics at Christmas, at Easter, when you have to visit other countries and develop bilateral relations on the shores of a sea. As if our common Black Sea was not beautiful enough. It will be a struggle for honour. But I am a fighter, I am very ambitious. There are a few other beautiful and brave mad people like me who follow and get excited about everything that is happening in the world. I аm a lawyer and I аm used to rough fights. Believe me, we have a lot of surprises in store in the European Parliament.

From which political groups will you seek support? You have been rejected by the new far-right group in the European Parliament created by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

First of all, what is being circulated in the press is wrong. I have never gone after any group. I was called. I would very much like to be a member of all these sovereigntist groups with S.O.S. Romania, but, mind you, under certain conditions. We know Romania's problems with Hungary, with Ardeal (Transylvania). We will never give up this fight, because Ardeal is Romanian and always has been. We will never give up on recovering our territories from Ukraine, it is about the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, which has been exposed. The rights of the Romanians there are not recognised. They have been discriminated against, they have been beaten, they have been killed. They are not allowed to speak Romanian, to pray in Romanian. And if they are all discriminated against and hated by [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, give us our territories back. We will never give up the fight against the gender ideology that brainwashes our children. I have nothing personal against anyone. Everyone can do what they want in their bedroom. I will answer to God. But get your hands off our children. Period. They are the minority, we are the majority. They need to know their place. I will never give up my principles. When the vote started today, I went directly to [EP President] Roberta Metsola to introduce myself. She said, "I know who you are" (laughs). I went in a civilized way. And she had said that she was open to discuss with all MEPs. She will probably regret that for the rest of her life (laughs). She promised to meet me after the session. I told her that there were problems that she did not know about or was not looking out for.

For the moment, I can say that I am cooperating well with my colleagues from the sovereigntist group, the AfD. Proof of this is that when today's sitting began, none of us got to our feet while the anthem was playing. The sovereignists did not stand up for the Anthem of Europe. Why? Because the EU is not a country. I know that is what they want. But it is not a country. I rise to my feet when the anthem of my country or other countries is played.

Will you look for meetings with Bulgarian MEPs and will the topic of Schengen - so topical on both sides of the Danube - be on your agenda?

We need to see the reverse side of the Schengen coin. You know very well that when you give way to Schengen, you give way to drugs. I know that you have the same problem with the war with Ukraine. According to the latest United Nations report, the biggest drug trafficking is through the port of Constanta in Romania. And Romania has gone from being a transit country to a consumption country. The youngest child taking drugs is 8-years-old. The situation is very serious. We should all care about this. In particular, the directive that allows Ukrainians to circulate anywhere without being stopped, without being controlled. They can have everything in their trucks. Including drugs. We are the gateway to the Orient. Especially when we talk about immigration. We have to be very careful.

On the other hand, it seems to me unacceptable that we are not admitted in Schengen, given that we have been full members of the EU for so many years and we are in Schengen partially. Are we second-rate, second-hand? Why are we being measured with a double standard? Why are we being treated like a third world country? Do we not see that we are being treated like that? This has to stop. I have been in contact with Bulgarian MEPs. I know that submissions are also being made for a referendum for the people to decide whether they want NATO bases, whether they want to be in NATO. That was my initiative, made in the Romanian Parliament. Three days after I did it, Bulgarian colleagues followed suit. I influence them (laughs). Even if they are from another group, people can unite. I will not give up my principles.

And will you compromise your principles in plenary when it comes to Ukraine, for example? You are often accused of being a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin and of being a Russian propagandist.

How nice it would be to be Putin's friend (laughs). Then nobody would dare say anything to me (laughs). Viktor Orban is a friend of Putin. He met with him, went to China as well. I am not Putin's friend, Viktor Orban is Putin's friend. But given the Hungarian Presidency and the fact that Orban went to Russia and China, we should do the same. We should go to Russia and China. If that is European policy, let us follow it. That is the example we are being set.

Recently Politico put you in a group of eccentric MEPs in the EP. Did this assessment affect you?

On the contrary. I am proud to be in this list (laughs).