Romania: Looking for Stability After Parliamentary Elections

Parliamentary elections in Romania have ended, and the new government will now face the daunting task of addressing the country's pressing foreign policy challenges. Among those challenges are the accession to the Schengen Agreement, the protection of its share of EU subsidies and the preservation of its agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Political infighting prevented Romania from making progress in these areas for most of 2012, but the new government will have to achieve stability if it is to become more assertive with its foreign policy — even as it contends with the ongoing economic crisis and the growing fragmentation of the European Union.