Romanians suffer from boss syndrome

Recent studies show that more than 75% everyday romanians want a well-payed job, but don't have the required education for it. They also wish to work in a honorable, well-known company. Experts call it the "Stalinist way". Also, the study says that most Romanians get this kind of job, but not due to their brilliant education, but because they bribe or rig the interview using friends or relatives with influence. Transition to Democracy at it's best.
It is a well known fact that in Romania, the concept of post-university studies has risen to become a fashion. Education, in my opinion is an institution dominated by corruption, like the public health and justice systems. So a Master Degree isn't hard to earn without studying, and people seem to get them just to give their CVs more weight. The problem: incompetence. This problem has made bosses to loose touch with reality and develop an aggressive attitude, psychologists say. Bosses tend to create a sort of totalitarian regime in their offices, neglecting other pieces of external advice.

Source: http://www.antena3.ro/Aproape-trei-sferturi-din-romani-sufera-de-sindromul-sefiei_act_50245_ext.html

Geoana gives green light for alliance

I don't really get it. For the county council in Valcea, the SDP(Social Democrat Party) and the DLP(Democrat Liberal Party) have made a political alliance, with the blessing of Mr. Geoana, the Social Democrat president. It is clear that politics in Romania is diluted: how can a Socialist party and a Liberal party forge an alliance, when their doctrines aren't compatible. More info when I have it.
Foto: Mr. Goana speaking, and behind him is former president Ion Iliescu, honorary president and senator

Source: http://www.realitatea.net/geoana-si-a-dat-acordul-ca-psd-sa-faca-alianta-cu-pd-l-la-consiliul-judetean-valcea_295032.html

Is Cluj the second Venice?

Due to the incompetence of some workers, the central street of transylvanian city Cluj gets flooded every time it rains. The problem is that when people poured tar and remade the Paris street, they clogged up the drainage holes. Local people try to destroy the tar and let loose the sewer holes, so that the half-meter high water would have a place to drain, freeing the main street. Pedestrians are obliged to do high-wire acts to avoid getting their feet wet. City Hall officials promised that they would sue the company that they hired to remake the avenue.

Source: http://cluj.realitatea.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1769:LAC-%C3%8EN-STRAD%C4%82-%E2%80%93-Pe-strada-Paris-s-au-format-b%C4%83l%C5%A3i-uria%C5%9Fe-dup%C4%83-ploaia-de-ieri_2008-06-06-10-05-09&catid=12:social&Itemid=13

Cleanup in the DLP

The Democrat Liberal Party has started a general cleanup. It is based upon the results of last week's local elections. Each candidate who didn't get the position for mayor or didn't make it to the second round will be expelled. This measure was suggested by the winners of mayor chairs on behalf of the DLP. On account of the Central Electoral Bureau, the Social Democrats won 662 mandates, the Liberal Democrats 473 and the National Liberals 355.

Source: http://www.realitatea.net/pd-l-a-decis-sa-i-inlature-din-partid-pe-cei-care-nu-au-fost-votati_294166.html

Post-totalitarian blues

According to CSAFS (the Council for Studies of the Archives of the Former Securitate), 20 candidates for mayor worked with the secret police during the communist regime. The council has not pointed the persons, but stated that 14 were mere informers (the lowest rank), four were officers and two were collaborators. Their files were sent to the Court of Bucharest for further investigation. CSAFS also stated that they are sure that 407 candidates don't have ties linking them to the oppression apparatus of the old regime.
Note: Thousands of files were burned in the events of December 1989.
Source: http://www.realitatea.net/20-de-informatori--colaboratori-si-ofiteri-ai-securitatii-au-candidat-la-alegerile-locale_290852.html

Nastase says that Basescu is "a historical accident for Romania"

Former prime minster and counter candidate of Traian Basescu in the 2004 presidential ellections Adrian Nastase attacked the president today. Nastase is upset because the president, who in his oppinion hast to be impartial in internal affairs, has made a statement sustaining Vasile Blaga, the DLP candidate for mayor of Bucharest. Nastase said that Mr. Basescu has "a psychiatric problem" and that he is "a historical accident for Romania". It is worth mentioning that before he become president of Romania, Basescu was a high-ranking member in the DP (who united this year with the LDP, becoming the DLP more history here).

Source: http://www.realitatea.net/a--nastase-traian-basescu-este-un-accident-istoric-pentru-romania_293531.html

Pension for "retired" commys

A communist-investigation institute passed a law project in which the old people who had jobs in the oppression apparatus of the Communist Party will be payed a 500 RON pension. This sum of money represents the minimum wage in Romania. Officers who were working in the Securitate have a huge allowance, the average being almost 7 times greater than the usual pension. Mr. Ilie Merce (who once was a Securitate officer and now is a deputy in the parliament, on behalf of the BRP - Big Romania Party) has a pension of roughly 2100 RON. Former general Nicolae Plesita gets arround 5500 RON, for having a key position in communist Romania's secret police.

Source: http://www.realitatea.net/tortionarii-comunisti-ar-putea-primi-pensii-de-maxim-500-de-lei_293447.html

Traian Basescu supports Vasile Blaga

The president has played his card. Basescu said today that he will sustain Mr. Vasile Blaga, the counter candidate of Sorin Oprescu. He does that because when the NSF (National Salvation Front) broke up in 1992, Mr. Blaga joined Mr. Petre Roman in the DP (Democratic Party), now DLP (Democrat Liberal Party, more information about the Romania's party system here), while Mr. Oprescu takes without opposition the recomandation of Ion Iliescu, who opposed the DP.

Source: http://www.realitatea.net/t--basescu--acceptarea-valorilor-lui-iliescu-este-lipsa-de-respect-fata-de-bucuresteni_293132.html

Quarrl in the SDP

It would seem that most of the SDP leaders agreed to sustain Sorin Oprescu (who left the SDP prior to the mayoral elections) in the second scrutiny, on the 15th of June. I said most because Mr. Cristinan Diaconescu, the party's candidate for mayor, disagreed, stating that Oprescu, if elected, will return in the party as mayor of Bucharest and will demote the high-ranking members. Diaconescu even told Mr. Ion Iliescu (first president of post 1989 Romania, rumored to have been a key member in Ceausescu's regime, honorary president of the SDP) to act as a mediator between him and Oprescu. Iliescu should tell the independend candidate to stop attacking the SDP, because the party will support him.

Source: http://www.realitatea.net/pesedistii-de-la-bucuresti-s-au-plans-ca-oprescu-ii-ameninta-ca-se-intoarce-si-ii-da-afara_293117.html

Tariceanu Dances!

Our prime minister, Calin Popescu Tariceanu was caught by the Antena 3 reporters dancing. The song was of Italian origin, with a popular taste. The ocasion was Italy's National Day. After he danced with the fine Italian artist, he enjoyed a glass of champagne along former president Emil Constantinescu and the head of the main opposition party, Mircea Goana from the SDP (Socialist Democrat Party)






Source: http://www.antena3.ro/Tariceanu-a-dansat-Tarantella-la-petrecerea-organizata-de-Ziua-Italiei-VIDEO_act_50037_ext.html

Results

Sorin Oprescu (independent) – 30,52%
Vasile Blaga (DLP) – 27,68%
Cristian Diaconescu (SDP) – 13,12%
Ludovic Orban (NLP) – 11,84%
Cozmin Guşă (NIP) – 6,30%
Fuciu Daniel (NGP) – 3,94%
Codrin Ştefănescu (CP) – 1,73%
Verginia Vedinaş (BRP) – 1,60%

The party names were translated into English:
DLP = Democrat Liberal Party
SDP = Social Democrat Party
NLP = National Liberal Party
NIP = National Initiative Party
NGP = New Generation Party
CP = Conservatory Party
BRP = Big Romania Party

Presence at the election booth:
31% - Bucharest
46% - nation-wide

Source: http://www.antena3.ro/Rezultate-oficiale-partiale-Sorin-Oprescu-35-Vasile-Blaga-277_act_50010_ext.html

Personal oppinions and a little history

Well.. first of all, the voters can be roughly divided into 2 groups. The Social-Democrat voters and the Liberals. The SD's are usually old people that come from the opening hours (8 AM) until 1 PM, the biggest wave being when the church service is over. the SDP (social democrat party) electors had the biggest mistakes in voting. They used the VOTED stamp wrong, so many votes were declared null. In Bucharest, Mr. Sorin Oprescu was a high ranking member of the SDP, but got into an internal fight and was independent in the mayoral election. Then, 2 hours of pause for lunch, when few people came. From 4PM until the closing hour (9PM), the Liberals voted. Most youngsters and about half of the working class are liberals. Two parties were voted by them: The NLP (National Liberal Party) and the DLP (Democrat Liberal Party). The NLP is historical, founded in the XIX Century. 2 years ago, some key members left this party and made their own, the LDP (Liberal-Democrat Party). After 1989, the power was taken by the NSF (National Salvation Front) . In 1991, the NSF split into the DSPR (Democrat Social Party of Romania), which took many forms and name, now being the SDP, and the DP (Democrat Party). This year, prior to the local elections which i observed, the DP and the LDP merged into the DLP. Overall the citizens of Bucharest shown little interest for Mr. Videanu (the ex mayor) and wanted a big change. My opinion is that Mr. Oprescu will overcome. No attemps to fraud the election because each member of the commission was from a separate party. Someone stamped all the zones, trying to vote for all the candidates :) - null vote. Several people tried to make pictures when voting but we're told not to.

Back

Back from the election booth.. it's 3 AM local time.
I was there from 6 AM to 3 AM the other day and am extremely tired. Mis-haps in the morning