The ELDR Party wholeheartedly welcomes the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU. ELDR Party President Annemie Neyts sent a message of support to the liberal party of Romania (PNL) in view of the party’s extraordinary Congress on 12-13 January. She congratulates PNL for having achieved important reforms which secured Romania’s accession to the EU. “As President of the European Liberals and Democrats, I am extremely happy to welcome you into the Union, and I am particularly proud because this was achieved thanks to the dynamism and the perseverance of the PNL, the Liberal party of Romania. (…) You have indeed demonstrated that Liberalism is compatible with the difficult transition from an authoritarian political system to a democratic one, and from a closely controlled state economy to a functioning market economy, while effectively reducing poverty. The textbooks said so, but you have demonstrated for us all to see that Liberalism WORKS. And so you taught us a invaluable lesson,” she stated.