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Ursu, Adrian
5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Election victory for the Romanian Social Democrats
The opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) has come first in Romania's parliamentary elections. According to Cotidianul newspaper, "the Social Democrats' electoral machine functioned perfectly. The party had better results than in 2004. This is probably the best proof that the PSD really operates like a professional political organisation. It has demonstrated that it has a well-structured, functional apparatus, as well as strategists, propagandists and talented lobbyists. The PSD was able to capitalise on its advantages and, much more importantly, create new ones. It redrew the electoral constituencies to its own advantage. And it drummed into the heads of the [governing] National Liberals of the PNL that it was in their interest to count on a low voter turnout, convincing them to hold the elections on a long weekend [Monday is a holiday in Romania], after excluding entire segments of the electorate from taking part through interdictions."
» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Romania
A momentous trial
A trial at the International Court of Justice in The Hague is due to begin today which will decide territorial rights regarding a 12,000 square metre continental plate in the Black Sea. Romania and Ukraine have been locked in a dispute over the plate, which contains natural gas and crude oil deposits, for decades. The daily Cotidianul examines the potential consequences of a ruling in Romania's favour: "The piece of continental plate we may win contains 100 billion cubic metres of gas and ten million tonnes of crude oil. How rich our country could be once more. ... The raw materials could give us a certain degree of independence from raw material imports, particularly from Russia. This is especially important because so far methods for alternative energy production have given Romania a wide berth. ... But the exploitation of marine deposits is immensely costly and requires expensive infrastructure and technology, and that is provided you have permission to tap these resources in the first place. We cannot simply move our rusty platforms a couple of miles eastwards and mine crude oil and gas that until now has belonged to Ukraine."
» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Energy, » Ukraine, » Romania
Bulgaria and Romania under attack
The Romanian government can breathe a sigh of relief after reading the European Commission's progress report, because although it contains criticism, the consequences are to be postponed to next year, notes Adrian Ursu. He adds that this does not bode well for the country's battle against corruption: "The fact that the next evaluation is almost a year away is an invitation to our Romanian politicians to take it easy.... It would be a good thing if in addition to the Brussels reports we published our own report on the country's progress - without all the political pathos."
» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Romania
Traian Basescu remains Romanian president
Adrian Ursu sees the low voter turnout as an indication that Romanians are weary of politics: "The abstinence of more than half of those entitled to vote shows that the suspended president's election campaign only served to fan hostilities among all political actors, including Basescu. Moreover, the 75 percent of those who went to the ballot and voted against his suspension weren't just thinking of Basescu. Some of the voters, filled with hatred for the parliament which the people feel doesn't represent them, just wanted to get rid of it... Peace will not return to Romania following the referendum; neither of the two camps has announced this. We will return to the same old Romania with the same president and a lost sense of trust - every country has the politicians it deserves."
» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Romania
Change in the European Parliament
The European family is back together, said parting EU Parliament President Jozep Borell, in greeting the new legislators from Romania and Bulgaria on Monday. Adrian Ursu notes, "The Bulgarian legislators are by far more disciplined... The debut of the Romanian European legislators, who overnight went from the supporting players to the centre stage, did not go without a hitch. On the other side of the legislative floor, an old fratricidal war has simply moved to Strasbourg. The Romanian Social Democrats are discussing the post of vice president of the European Social Democrats. But the peak of irony is that after Brussels and Strasbourg have indicated for years that we have to isolate extremism, now the Greater Romanian Party (PRM) of Vadim Tudor is storming the European Parliament and helping form a political faction. The five PRM legislators have successfully legitimized the group of right-wing extremist legislators from France and Belgium. The image remains of Vadim Tudor strolling hand in hand with Le Pen through the legislative chamber, holding up a poster that, in Tudor's words, shows the 'criminal' Barroso."
» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Europe, » Romania, » Bulgaria
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