Traian Basescu

Where did all the Romanians go?

by Craig Turp February 3, 2012 Romania

 Remember the census carried out by the INS last year? Well, preliminary results were released yesterday. You can browse them at your leisure here. Edited highlights: The population of Romania has fallen by more than two and a half million since the 2002 census. The current population of Romania is now just 19,042,936. It has [...]

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Nastase Seven Houses

by Craig Turp February 1, 2012 Romania

 We assume that even the most ill-informed of visitors to Bucharest Life is aware of the fact that former Romanian prime minister Adrian Nastase was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday for corruption. Nastase remains a free man for the time being, pending an appeal. Here is the Reuters report on the matter. [...]

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What does a responsible city guide do about these protests?

by Craig Turp January 21, 2012 Bucharest

  Here’s a problem we have never faced before: What does a responsible city guide do about these protests (a couple of which have ended violently) currently taking place every evening in Bucharest? We have a deadline approaching ahead of the publication of the February – March issue of Bucharest In Your Pocket, and are [...]

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More in English on the Bucharest protests

by Craig Turp January 19, 2012 Bucharest

 First off, try this piece from the AP for size, which looks at the situation in Romania in a wider, Eastern European context. This piece offers some background on the man whose resignation was the catalyst for the protests, Raed Arafat. Then there is this from the BBC, written by an old friend, Sorin Ionita, [...]

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Eastern Approaches on the Bucharest rioting

by Craig Turp January 16, 2012 Bucharest

 UPDATE: As of Tuesday morning, this is now probably the most balanced English-language piece on the protests. Read it online at The Grauniad. — The Economist‘s always excellent Eastern Approaches blog has just published probably the best English-language summary of events so far (although the Battle of Bucharest headline is pushing it a little). Read [...]

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Much ado about nothing

by Craig Turp January 15, 2012 Bucharest

 There was a mini-riot in Bucharest last night. A lot of fuss over nothing. You can read a BBC news report of the events here, and there is video from Reuters here. Anyway, two quick points. 1. If you are not happy with a government, you can choose not to re-elect it at the next [...]

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Bucharest Life 2012: It’s all about politics

by Craig Turp January 1, 2012 Bucharest

 One thing will dominate Bucharest Life this coming year, and it’s not Elena Udrea in latex. No, having taken a year’s holiday, Romanian politics is back in a big way, with two sets of elections scheduled for 2012, the first since the controversial presidential election of 2008. As things stand today, the loose and unholy [...]

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