Juncker questions if Romania ready for EU presidency

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has questioned whether Romania is ready for the political give-and-take of running the EU presidency. Romania takes over the rotating EU presidency for six months on January 1 amid deep political divisions at home and a contentious domestic judicial overhaul. The presidency will give it a role in setting the EU agenda and the task of serving as a diplomatic go-between among the 28 member countries. The head of the European Union’s executive branch was quoted on Saturday as telling Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper that Romania is “technically well-prepared.” He added, however, that the government in Bucharest “hasn’t yet fully understood what it means to take the chair over the EU countries,” according to AP.