On the eve of Ceauşescu’s fall, a movie was screen, as stupid as all others were in the communist era, but whose title was ominous: “The Last Ball in November.” By all indications, the European Parliament election and the referendum were the last ball for Traian Băsescu. This electoral campaign showed us a (physically and politically) exhausted Presi­dent, making bad moves, footing the... 

Endless clashes between political players, notes, resignations, corruption and misuse of authority, media scandals. This is the 2007 image of Romania, as of recently labelled as “crime exporting country.” This is how foreigners see us, and it’s no wonder they do, since we don’t have a country brand. Ever since 2001 the country brand concept has been discussed in conferences, symposiums... 

According to a 2002 population census, there are 535,250 Roma in Romania. But many organisations claim their number is well beyond one million. Which may be more accurate, since Roma are generally reluctant to declaring their ethnic membership, although they are a constant and recurrent presence across Romania. We have witnessed countless, heated, more or less clued-up debates on the situation... 

Elections to the European Parliament revealed the beginning of a paradigm shift, a change from the prevalence of the left to a prevalence of the right. This trend is quite likely to maintain in the next elections as well. Under these circumstances, parties must find solutions to achieve as good results as possible. PNL and PSD will return to their traditional electorate. On the other side, the... 

Over the past few years, Romania has recovered delays faster that the region as a whole, and managed to significantly bridge the gaps separating it from the rest of the region; in contrast to Poland, a country with a similar economy, delays have been reduced from six to three years in terms of nominal convergence and from eight to five years in terms of real convergence. Many analysts expect a... 

Little has been heard about the Club of Rome over the past few years. Weak PR, one might say. But the 40-year old Club of Rome has carried on its activity, consisting in debates and research on all continents. The tremendous echo of its first report, “The Limits to Growth” (1973), sold in millions of copies and having made a lasting impact on an entire generation in the ‘70s, has never faded... 

On November 25, Romanians are invited to polling stations in the first non-binding referendum in post-1989 history. President Traian Băsescu has requested the electorate to express an opinion on the introduction of the uninominal voting system in parliamentary elections. The topic has been intensely debated over the past 10 years, but as it often happens in Romanian politics, a solution is yet... 

Last week Former Vice President Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work on raising awareness about global warming.  This will most certainly put the environmental issue to the forefront of the political debate in the presidential race and given Gore’s political affiliation it would do so squarely on the democratic side. So far Democratic... 

When Traian Băsescu told people that he will overcome the “wicked system,” he obviously overlooked his being part of the system, that is, his own “wickedness.” To convince us of the contrary, the new President underwent a transmutation, he experienced an odd form of conversion. Thus, from the promising-though rather uncouth-populist, Băsescu turned overnight into a hero... 

The recent report drawn up by inspectors with the Upper Magistracy Council (CSM) on the performance of the National Anti-Corruption Department (DNA) is more than a judicial document aimed at monitoring an institution subordinated to the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court. The endeavour as such has had major political implications all along. Minister Chiuariu all of a sudden requested...