The post-war relations between Romania and the world's great powers

• Author: Monica Boldea - Mihai Olimpiu Parean - Maria Daniela Otil
• Position: Senior Lecturer, PhD, West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Timisoara, Romania - Senior Lecturer, PhD, West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Timisoara, Romania - Teaching assistant, PhD, West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and Business ...
• Pages: 423-430

Performance and Risks in the European Economy

423

The Post-War Relations Between

Romania And The World’s Great Powers

Boldea Monica

1

, Prean Mihai – Olimpiu*

2

, Oil Maria -Daniela

3

Abstract: Romania, has always been an interesting country and disputed over by western and eastern powers,

also due to its geographical position. This did not change even when Romania was an independent state.

Although at one time an autarkic development was pursued under communism, this was practically

impossible. Necessary was to develop relations with various partners, mostly important economic forces: the

West, China, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA). After 1990, Romania was the most

uncertain country in the former communist bloc regarding its way to building a better soc ial and economic

future. In 1991, Romania was t he only one that concluded an agreement with Moscow by w hich it practically

accepted a position of s ubordination, while the other states firmly required the European structures to specify

the conditions for their accession and integration. With a delay of several years Romania as well started the

accession pr ocess trying hard to make up for the lost time. This paper analyzes the positions taken by the

Romanian authorities of those times for the development of diplomatic relations with these economic powers.

Key words: national economy; Romania; CMEA; international relations; the European Union

JEL Classification: B 15; F 15; F 59; N 44; P 33; P 36.

Introduction

The economic and social life in Romania was deeply influenced by the decisions taken by major

economic powers in its proximity. If in the East, after World War I, the marxist-leninist influence set

in, the West registered talks around the idea of setting up the unification of European states (a detailed

presentation of events is put forward by Booker, North, 2004), a very common idea among Romanian

economists.

Thus, an analysis is required regarding the events that took place around World War II. The

framework of this period includes a neutral period (1939 - 1940), although in 1940 the country

registered considerable terr itorial losses and had to manage large flows of people ( territorial

concessions to the Soviet Union and Hungary generated waves of refugees, and with Bulgaria there

was an exchange of population by yielding the Quadrilateral), which disrupted the society and the

economy at national level. Then there followed the years of war along Germany against the Soviet

Union and, in fact, against the United Nations. At this stage Romanian exports were directed almost

exclusively to countries allied at that time in the war, relations with traditional partners being

discontinued: France, partly (well-known to support - by signing a treaty with each country - the Little

Entente, also called the Personal Agreement, an organization established in 1920 and 1921 between

1

Senior Lecturer, PhD, West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and B usiness Administration, Timisoara,

Romania,, +4002565925554, e-mail: monica.boldea@feaa.uvt.ro.

2

Senior Lecturer, PhD, West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and B usiness Administration, Timisoara,

Romania, +400256592562, Corresponding author: mihai.parean@feaa.uvt.ro.

3

T eaching assistant, PhD, West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Timisoara,

Romania, +400256592561, maria.otil@feaa.uvt.ro.