Traian Basescu

Liviu Babes: The man who set himself alight on the slopes at Poiana Brasov

Yet again, Romanian television station Pro TV came up with the goods last week – and no, we are not talking about Romanii au talent – when it broadcast a report exposing the trade in Certificate de Revolutionar (Revolutionary Certificates). Basically, these certificates ‘prove’ that the holder was directly involved in bringing about the Romanian [...]

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Heavens will not fall tomorrow

by Craig Turp October 25, 2010 Bucharest

Romania’s parliament will vote on a no-confidence motion tomorrow, a vote the government is expected to survive. Reuters do a decent job of summing up why here. Less predictable is the outcome of a major demonstration set to take place in Bucharest at the same time as the vote. Union leaders have optimistically said that [...]

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Where next?

by Our Special Correspondent June 28, 2010 Romania

It’s hard to see where Emil Boc’s government goes from here. It managed a stay of execution by whacking up VAT, so it should get another handout from the IMF and EU, but it comes at the cost of whatever credibility it still had. Boc’s fragile and patched together coalition only just survived a no-confidence [...]

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Today in Romania’s parliament, Good does battle with Evil. It really is as simple as that

by Craig Turp June 15, 2010 Romanian Politics

Romania’s MPs will today vote on a motion of no confidence put forward by the opposition that is in effect a vote on the drastic budget cuts announced by the PDL-led government of Traian Basescu and Little Emil Boc last month. For many of Romania’s most desperate group of people – pensioners – the vote [...]

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It begins

by Craig Turp May 25, 2010 Bucharest

It’s now more than three weeks since Romania’s government of ostentatiously wealthy individuals announced the most drastic cuts to public spending since the 1980s: pensions are to be cut by 15 per cent, public sector salaries by 25 per cent. Since then, though there has been much fist-wringing and general ‘they just can’t do that’ [...]

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It’s a miracle!

by Craig Turp April 4, 2010 Romania

After not a few years in Romania, it never strikes us as anything except astonishing how television news bulletins in this country report religious events. This morning, for example, the top story on all channels is that Christ Has Risen. That some people clearly believe that he has is not the issue: good luck to [...]

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Basescu’s Romania: Arse and elbow in new mix-up

by Craig Turp March 2, 2010 Bucharest

From the government that brought you a compulsory profit tax on losses, and a tax on fast food comes another wonderful initiative designed to see thousands more Romanian companies close: all Romanian companies (no matter their size) must hire not one, but two full time accountants. Yes, you read that correctly. More than 40 MPs, [...]

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