Romania Sticks Up For Itself

Romania tells France to "shut the f**k up!

Romania's president has warned France to stop lecturing his country over its close links with London and Washington as he prepares to sign the treaty to join the European Union.

Traian Basescu (pictured) says he wants to form a “special relationship” with the US and Britain to improve security in the Black Sea region, and he also aligns himself with London's liberal economic policies.

Mr Basescu's stance has infuriated France, Romania's biggest supporter in the EU, and could exacerbate fears in France that it is losing its grip on an expanding EU.

Next Monday Romania and Bulgaria will sign the accession treaty paving the way for them to join the EU on January 1 2007, bringing the union's membership to 27.

Note to France: You are losing your grip. Romania knows what all of "new Europe" knows; the US and Britain are great allies and France and Germany are not. Sounds pretty damn simple to me.

Update: Headline corrected.