Romania enlists priests to promote euro switchover plan

Priests are to be assigned to help inform Romanian citizens about entering the eurozone, according to a National Plan to Adopt the Euro Currency prepared by the government in Bucharest in the autumn and last week released to the public.

This religious-political communication strategy will begin some 12 months prior to the official joining of the single currency date set by the Romanian government for 2024.

Since it became a member of the EU 12 years ago, in 2007, Romania has moved back and forth on various phases of the accession process, outlining plans and setting numerous deadlines for joining the eurozone.

Yet the most recent convergence report of the EU concludes that Romania is currently the least-prepared EU member state for adopting the euro - despite the government's plans to do so in the next five years, and the decision to use the clergy in its communication efforts.

In fact, it is not the first time the government has turned to the Romanian church in hope of reaching a wider audience.

Previously, the Romanian ministry of agriculture resorted to a similar tactic on two separate occasions in order to convince farmers to join agricultural cooperatives and apply for European funding.

The church is well-regarded in the countryside, with over 80 percent of Romania's rural population maintaining a high level of trust in the clergy.

Information-scarcity also empowers priests to act as opinion leaders for a vast number of citizens in the region.

"Priests are great communicators in rural areas of Romania. They are considered educated, trustworthy and far more dependable than any local political figure", Radu Umbres, anthropology lecturer at the National School for Political Science and Administration, told EUobserver.

The Romania government is hoping that priests will be particularly important in reaching particular groups, such as retirees, the unemployed and national minorities.

The information campaign aims to "ensure a smooth and balanced transition to the new currency and to offer a clear perception of the benefits and costs of the process", according to the government's strategy.

Romania's prime minister, Viorica Dancila, has announced she will soon send the European Commission a plan detailing how the country will make the switch to the single currency.

"We are taking on the task of replacing the current national currency with the euro by 2024," she said, following a weekly cabinet meeting on 30 January.

"Joining the eurozone is a complex objective that requires a thorough approach carefully planned out by specialist, political groups, civil society and all the parties involved in the process," Dancila said.