Romania Changes Heart on EU Refugee Quota

In a surprising twist, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said Bucharest could now manage the number of refugees the EU is planning to relocate to the Balkan country, although he is still against mandatory quotas imposed by the Commission.

"I still believe the mandatory quotas are not a solution to Europe's migrant crisis. But the number of refugees Romania must receive is not large. It is manageable and I think Romania must show solidarity," Iohannis said ahead of an EU meeting in Brussels to coordinate responses.

Interior ministers from the EU's 28 countries agreed on Tuesday to relocate 120,000 refugees. Under the scheme, some 2,475 will be added to Romania's distribution list, bringing Romania's total to 4,260 migrants.

Four countries, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, opposed the proposed quotas of refugees. But other member states forced the vote to pass, using an EU rule that allows certain decisions to be made without a consensus.

"The decision at EU level has been made. I understand other countries plan to challenge it and we will wait to see the outcome," Iohannis added.

President Iohannis has several times said Romania wants to help Europe deal with the migrant crisis, adding that the country can take in only 1,785 migrants, due to limited capacities.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta, a fierce opponent of Iohannis, on Wednesday said it was the President's responsibility if Romania had to take in more migrants than it can accomodate.

"[But] the job of the government is to find solutions to hosting refugees. And we will do this, if necessary," Ponta said.

Some commentators have criticised Iohannis for his opposition to migrant quotas. "It's a mistake that Romania has been placed among...