Latest Premium Articles from Romania
Romania’s New Leader Battles Temptation to Spend
With an election due in autumn, the new interim premier will have a hard task delivering on his pledge to reduce the burden of austerity while retaining the confidence of Romania’s creditors.
Schengen Red Light Leaves Romania Frustrated
Despite strenuous diplomatic efforts, Bucharest again failed to secure entry into the passport-free zone, leaving Romanians wondering who is to blame – Brussels or their own leaders?
Romania Starts Counting Cost of Bitter Winter
Totting up the bill for this exceptional freeze will take months – but no one doubts that the price will be paid by ordinary people.
Lustration Should Not be About Purges
The lustration process in Macedonia is one of several in the region that have gone horribly wrong - becoming a tool by which the authorities stigmatise their enemies.
Romanian Govt Faces Winter of Discontent
While snowstorms batter the Balkans, Emil Boc’s government faces a political blizzard of its own, as thousands demonstrate against cuts and wage freezes.
Romania: Tough Year Expected
Disputed local and parliamentary elections, risks of capital outflows from banks, more job losses and social unrest are some of many challenges Romania faces in 2012.
Romania: Not Yet Out of the Woods
Corruption cases and the country's related failure to gain admission to the EU Schengen zone dominated the political landscape.
Roma Funds Squandered in Romania
As Brussels pressures Bucharest to improve living conditions for its Roma population, thousands of euros paid by the EU and Romanian government to do just that appears to have been wasted on inflated salaries and exorbitant rents and expenses, BIRN can reveal.
Eurozone Crisis Hits Romania’s Embattled Middle Class
Uncertainty about the future of the single currency makes many Romanians concerned for their financial future.
Bulgarian Asylum System Pushes Migrants West
Bulgaria fails to integrate its refugees and routinely locks up asylum seekers, despite EU and national laws banning the use of detention centres, forcing even those who might otherwise stay to try their luck in western Europe.
Digital Age Spawns Big Brother Bosses
Employers across Europe have read workers’ private emails and chat conversations by illegally using secret computer surveillance software; in Romania employees claim bosses have used private information gained to blackmail and bully them.
Distrustful Romanians Approach Census With Foreboding
Romania’s first population count in a decade is running into controversy, as many people say they will refuse to answer some or all of the questions.
Wildlife NGOs Take Romania’s Bear Hunt to Brussels
Conservationist groups plan to send a letter of complaint to Europe, accusing Romania’s authorities of lack of transparency in deciding the bear-hunting quota.
Corruption Scandals Worsen Romanian Football’s Ill Fame
The declining reputation of the ‘beautiful game’ in Romania is being compounded by repeated cases of match-fixings, bungs and bribes.
Romania Dreams of Highways to the Future
In a country where horse and cart remains the preferred form of transport for some, a European-style motorway network remains a distant fantasy.
