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(Photo source: DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images) Romania's president incumbent, Traian Basescu, spoke on national television last night for the first time since protests began almost two weeks ago, in defense of his government's tough austerity measures. See speech HERE in Romanian. The measures suffered in Romania have been immensely strict and, just for the record, Forbes Magazine reported earlier this week that the national GDP of both Hungary and Romania combined is about equal to that of Greece. "Brutal and unthinkable in a... [Lire la suite]

Following a comment on yesterday's blogpost, Corina Grigorica answers the question: "Why is it seen as shameful to make an alliance with PSD but not with a party that included Virgil Magreanu (PD)?" Immediately after the revolution, the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) did an about turn and called itself FSN (The Front of National Salvation). At first, Iliescu, head of this formation, said they were going to organize free elections WITHOUT PARTICIPATING. At the same time, PNl and PNT (survivors of parties pre-communist who were almost... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source: Sarah In Romania) A demonstration took place in front of the Romanian Embassy, Paris today, in solidarity with the protests back home now well into their nineth day.  The gathering, organised via social networks, was strictly apolitical, supported NO political party, organisation or alliance, and was entirely peaceful and good-humoured with Romanian flags brightening an otherwise drab Parisian day. About a hundred supporters of all ages quietly held up a variety of signs: 'Protestez Pasnic', 'Même au loin, je suis... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source: L. Marica) Day Eight and the protests continue across Romania more than ever. Dimitrie Cantemir was wrong - he undershot by five days. Protesters have not got fed up and they have certainly not gone home. Au contraire. They have multiplied in their thousands nationwide. With every day that passes, I make a new discovery. My views and opinions seem rather kaleidoscopic: curving, merging, blending and changing. For me, at least, it has been a true learning curve (not always in the right direction!) on Romanian... [Lire la suite]

SATURDAY (Photo Adevarul) Thousands protested in the streets of Bucharest and other major cities throughout the country for the third day in a row against a project to reform healthcare and in support of Raed Arafat. Although the government publically withdrew the bill to privatise large parts of the health service on Friday, it failed to calm crowds who now call for Basescu's resignation and early elections. The protest at Piata Universitatii became increasingly violent as the night progressed (live Antena3).... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source: Index) Bravo to Rumi Mestrovic who recently stood up to an offensive dose of 'nu se poate' in Zagreb... she was taking a photo of the first sunset of 2012 through a fence when a guard starting yelling abuse at her - threatening, menacing, way beyond offensive - apparently she couldn't take photos through a fence that wasn't hers. It wasn't allowed. Clearly he hoped to intimidate Rumi and her husband. Not so. He picked on the wrong person... Rumi Mestrovic, daughter-in-law of the sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, is not a... [Lire la suite]

Completely by chance just the other day, I fell upon the superb site of the moNUmenteUITATE project and can't imagine how I'd missed it. Of course, I had to find out more. The moNUmenteUITATE team was very prompt in replying with the following text and photographs explaining their project and future events - thank you very much! Please click on the links and check out moNUmenteUITATE for yourself. It is terribly sad to witness such neglect, but the team tells me that in a couple of years, the general image won't be this tragic.... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source: Calin Bota) This is not the first time str. Dionisie Lupu, 70-72 has made the news. Built in 1890, this house was one of the residences of the Vacarescu family - famous boyars, scholars, poets and linguists - intellectuals of Romania, amongst them and to name just a few, Barbu, Elena and Ienachita. Back in 2009, the house was a topic on one or two serious blogs concerning Bucharest's patrimony, history and heritage as well as in the press. An SOS went out once more yesterday via Facebook.... [Lire la suite]

This beautiful house on str Franceza has suffered the greatest of humiliations - abuse to its interior, attacks to its facades, violence to its structure, and, most recently, two cases of arson. Who owns the land, one surely asks. The PMB. For the history of this building, please see Silvia Colfescu's blog, 'Istorioare Bucurestene' for Casa Miron Vlasto Part 1 HERE. Knowing its past and its recent present makes what has happened to this house all the more repugnant. Doamna Colfescu has written several wonderful posts on the... [Lire la suite]

(Photo source) The alarm has sounded once again in the latest episode of the epic battle to save Bulevard Aviatorilor and Soseaua Kiseleff. On 30th November, the National Commission for Historic Monuments had to decide, I'm told, whether: 1. to list the boulevard-system: Aviatorilor/Kiseleff/Prezan on the list of historic monuments as heritage of major cultural, architectural and urban importance to Bucharest  and 2. to approve or reject the two auto-underpasses which, if built, would... [Lire la suite]