​Angela Merkel, Jose Barroso, Traian Basescu and other European leaders who attended the European Popular Party congress in Bucharest on Thursday spoke of the threat of populism in Europe and of the need of a deeper European integration. Meanwhile in the Romanian capital, the governing coalition of Social Democrats and Liberals (USL) organized a major event in the city's National Arena stadium to launch their candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The event was marked by a series of nationalist and populist speeches.

Throngs of European leaders and politicians convened in Bucharest for the EPP Congress. What happened there on Wednesday:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel applauded brave measures taken by Greece, Spain, Portugal and Romania and, pointing to Ukraine and Belarus, warned that without individual freedom one cannot talk of economic growthEC President Jose Barroso called for more solidarity between old and new Europe and warned of the danger populist trends raise against Europe.Romanian President Traian Basescu called for "more and deeper Europe", saying that the United States of Europe would be a solution to Europe's current problems. He said all EU countries needed a common Labor code and a common energy policy which should not stop at Romania's eastern border.Late in the evening, Wilfried Martens was re-elected for a three-year term at the helm of the party, with 91% of the votes.

Also on Wednesday, Barroso told Romania's Social Democratic PM Victor Ponta in a meeting in Bucharest that unless Romania takes urgent measures to solve the issues that led to the suspension of funding for a series of European programs, EU fund absorption in the country would be seriously compromised.

Meanwhile, in a glitzy event at Bucharest's National Arena stadium, in the presence of some 60,000 people, the governing Social Liberal