As you (probably) know, I keep a sharp and vigilant eye on Romania and politics in this country. Although I have zero respect for Crin Antonescu, I was glad he went to England a few days ago to help lobby against the recent outpouring of hate towards Romanians (and Bulgarians) spearheaded by the UKIP in advance of the lifting of immigration restrictions in Britain at the end of this year.
I was shocked beyond disbelief however, to see that Crin Antonescu “wrote” an amazingly fluent and engaging letter in English for the website politics.co.uk:
In 2007, when Romania joined the EU, we reluctantly agreed to postpone the application of the fourth fundamental freedom of the EU – the right to live, work and learn anywhere in the EU – until 2014. We are therefore frustrated and offended that some now suggest that these restrictions should be maintained to stop an imaginary tsunami of uneducated, unwashed criminals from swamping civilization.
The reality is that this is highly unlikely to happen. Historically Europeans are reluctant to move to another country. Most do not move far from their place of birth. Indeed, the people of Britain’s market towns, so beloved by Nigel Farage, should ask themselves how many people from their school followed in the footsteps of Dick Whittington to seek their fortune on the streets of London? The answer will be not that many.
What the hell? Who is this educated man that wrote this letter, mentioning the iconic story of Dick Whittington who went from a peasant of “lowe byrth” to becoming the Lord Mayor (and not “His Excellency” lol) of London over 600 years ago?
Antonescu really knows this story? And he can write this fluently and adeptly in English? I don’t think so!
This is, after all, the man who last year met with the IMF (back when he was acting president after temporarily unseating Basescu in a coup) and told these international bankers in English that the Romanian Finance Minister is the father and mother of Romania’s relationship with the IMF. Click on the link above to see the trainwreck for yourself.
So in less than a year he’s somehow transformed into a fluent writer of English who is conversant with British history? I think it’s safe to say that someone else wrote that letter. What’s shocking for me is that the USL managed to find even one person who can write in English.
I mean I’ve already showed you how fucked up the Romanian Embassy in Britain’s website is. And we know from More Gooder in Future Talking and the infamous Letter to Manuel Barroso that Ponta (and his government) sure as hell cannot write in English. So where did they find someone to ghost write this letter for Antonescu?
Whoever you were, sir or madam, I salute you and thank you for finally helping a Romanian official to not sound like a total idiot in front of the whole world. It’s just a shame that you made Crin Antonescu, the guy nicknamed Cacarau (roughly equivalent to “shit for brains”), the man who slept through most of his career in the Senate, the same idiot who said that the CCR (Romanian “Supreme Court”) was useless and irrelevant, look good.
But hey, I understand. It’s tough to make a living these days as a writer so you got to take the jobs as they come. Maybe you can get hired to fix that awful embassy website next! :)
All Things Romania 
I used to be suggested this blog via my cousin. I am not positive
whether this put up is written through him as no one else understand such unique about my difficulty.
You are amazing! Thanks!
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It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button!
I’d definitely donate to this excellent blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to
my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this website with
my Facebook group. Chat soon!
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There are many unemployed academics in humanities in English-speaking countries.
Heck, USL is not even at their first such feat. A certain American general drank the Kool-Aid too, last year, supposedly pro bono.
But who, in their right minds, would work pro bono for such Mazars and Fazars?
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Put this way, yes…I agree with you Floreign…but ideals are dead, they have been replaced by a philosophical void, a huge one, and people are prompt to forget principles and all…money talks! Lapalissade, may be…but so real.!
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So writing something in a bad English fluently is bad.
Hiring someone (who does speak better) to write it for you is also bad.
OK, Sam, how should we proceed?
PS: On behalf of all my countrymen I would like to apologize that we don’t have English as our native language. I would’ve said that it’s not our fault, but that would be Romanian denial… so yes, it’s our fault. Apologies again!
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The word “fluently” in my text above is a typo error. Sorry.
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You’re missing the point. He’s a bit pissed about the fact that it just so happens that Antonescu, whom Sam dislikes (to put it mildly), seems to be the only politician to date to have gone through a proper ghostwriter.
Also no need to apologize for you fellow country men (even ironically), I think we’re quite capable of judging by ourselves what our level of English should be and while Sam can have an opinion about it doesn’t mean we have to take it as criticism. However his criticism about our politicians not going through well trained translators is still valid. Yes, life if complicated :)
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Sam having an opinion about it is fine. Criticising both people who hire translators and those who don’t… not so much.
That’s illogical and proves either stupidity or hypocrisy.
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Unless, of course, perfect knowledge of English language is mandatory. I wouldn’t mind it that much but it would piss off the French terribly. :-D
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“OK, Sam, how should we proceed?”
Maybe learn to write correctly and speak fluently in English? Duh…
Or use our native language, combined with a most needed Romanian-English interpreter…
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Well, learning to speak English perfectly is not mandatory. Yet, at least.
And he did use a translator (duh!) or at least that was Sam’s “accusation”. (Not an interpretor because it was a letter.)
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Of course not an “interpretor”… :)
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As long as you get the idea the point is made. I don’t claim to be Shakespeare.
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I was only commenting on that particular point because I noticed in various of his pieces that Sam was generally very prompt at criticizing Romanian officials for not being fluent in English. That’s why I reacted to this part of the article only. As for the rest, I leave it to ”enlightened” political critics to address. Thank you for your remark.
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Well no, not ALL politicians (men and women) have ghost writers. Generalizations of this nature really miss the point. Further, the comment misses the point of the article.
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All political men have ghost writers, including president(s) of the USA (although I suspect Obama to keep a vigilant and knowledgeable watch over the speeches that are written for him…at least on the form if not the content!) I wonder therefore why you are surprised. But hey!
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