Romanian president Traian Basescu addressed the joint houses of the Parliament for the first time since he became the head of state in November 2004.

In one-and-a-half hour speech, Basescu addressed the most stringent problems of the nation in the perspective of the European integration, “a test for all the 22 million Romanians.” Among the main absentees there was the PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu and some Liberal ministers.

President Basescu has emphasized the fact that the integration process within the EU is more important than the accession to the EU, and that there's a one word characterization for this process - “performance.” He drew attention to the fact that Romania might be perceived by the EU members as a “burden” due to the problems it enters the Union with.

However, the flags that show the weak and problematic economic and social fields are not the greatest worry, but the need of performance. The biggest challenge is the reform and the restructuring of the Romanian institutions.

Basescu also pleaded for better financing of the education to at least 6% of the GDP, for the modernization of the rural education and for quality in all fields of education and research. The president also addressed the sanitary system with its flaws and the lack of development of the agriculture.

The Justice system has improved lately, but still politicians believe they are above the law and allow themselves to abuse their post and to become reach based on their public activities. Basescu underlined the importance of the Integrity Agency that would scrutinize the evolution of a politician’s wealth. The president pleaded for the independence of the justice.