A new year, a new era—at least that’s how it feels. As of January 1, 2007, Romania officially joined the European Union. All the TV channels showed fireworks, smiles, and politicians talking about a bright future. In Paris, where I’ve been for a few years now, the news was noted, but not with the same effervescence. For me, Sorin, and for many other Romanians scattered around the world, the event comes with a strange mix of hope, skepticism, and a dose of resignation.
Perhaps now, with EU membership, things will finally start to change back home. Maybe it will be easier. Perhaps new opportunities will arise, salaries will increase, infrastructure will improve, and the system will become more transparent. These are the hopes that animate all of us, no matter where we are. The dream of a prosperous Romania, which we all embraced, now seems closer.
However, from my experience here, in the heart of Western Europe, I see that the process is slow and full of pitfalls. People are still migrating. I constantly see new faces, Romanians coming here in search of a better life, a decent job, a chance for an education they couldn’t find at home. EU accession hasn’t stopped migration; on the contrary, it seems to have facilitated it. Administrative barriers are fewer, borders more open, but the fundamental problems remain.
Living here in Paris, I’ve learned to look at things from a different perspective. This city, with all its bustle and diversity, has opened me to new ideas, to new quests. Those secret organizations, the discussions about meaning, about hidden truths – all seem to gain even greater weight in the context of these geopolitical changes. When an entire country aligns with an economic and political bloc, you wonder what invisible influences are working behind the curtain. Who are, in fact, the “Loom of Doom” pulling the strings at a macro level?
Now, with Romania officially in the EU, I feel a sense of relief, but also unease. I wonder if this fundamental change will truly bring the much-desired prosperity and peace, or if it will only bring other challenges, other illusions. The path to truth is long and full of obstacles, and Romania’s path, it seems, has only just begun to change direction. It remains to be seen if it will be a change for the better, or just another stage in our perpetual search.