Word Count: 2854 Ever since Victoria Nuland decided to discuss the re-instatement of Laura Codruta Kovesi as head of the DNA (the National Anti-Corruption Directorate) last week, I started asking myself, “What do we really know about this agency?”. The short answer is: not a whole hell of a lot. Everyone (who hates corruption that is) is cheered on by the DNA’s impressive statistics. After … Continue reading Investigating the DNA
I was enjoying a quiet Saturday morning when the Unsleeping Eye brought me this rather dry announcement (in Romanian). Say what? My translation: Along with potential price hikes in the cost of food as the result of a 2 lei per kilogram packaging tax, Romania could face sanctions [by the EU] as a result of not reaching recycling goals. That 2 lei (about 50 euro … Continue reading Rut Roh
Despite the ongoing effort to beatify Laura Codruta Kovesi, not everyone in the business community happy. In this moronic Bloomberg piece, Ion Tiriac and others complain that prosecuting government officials for corruption is bad for business: Tiriac told journalists he had spent more than two years trying to line up the necessary government approvals, but a sweeping crackdown on corruption has made civil servants reluctant … Continue reading Obeying the Law Is Bad for Business
The issue of “brain drain”, or the smartest/best educated people leaving Romania has become a serious problem. In particular, many Romanian doctors are leaving their homeland for jobs abroad to earn far better day. This woman is one of the people who had to make that difficult choice: Changement d’idiome, de contrée, mais pas de métier, même si en Roumanie, on parle de « médecin … Continue reading The Story of a Romanian Doctor in France
As the deadline of January 29 gets ever closer, none of the politicians know what the fuck to do. This article, written just yesterday, is already out of date, but has valuable information about what’s at stake: The Eastern Partnership is suffering a two-front assault. On the one hand, the Netherlands are going to the polls in a referendum that will approve or disapprove of … Continue reading The Rats Go Running in Moldova
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