* World Classic Gallery *

* CLAUDE OSCAR MONET *

BIOGRAPHY and PAINTINGS Monet, Claude Oscar 1840 - 1926

France, Impressionism (style)
Claude Monet was a famous artist. Monet painted many oil paintings that are in famous museums today. Monet lived at a time when there were wars and hardships. Claude Monet has inspired millions of artists. He lived from 1840 until 1926.
Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. When he was five years old he and his family moved to Le Havre. When Monet was 17, his mother died. The year after, Monet met an artist named Eugene Boudin. Boudin convinced Claude Monet to do his oil painting outdoors and this led to the first outdoor landscape painting of Monet painting career. Monet went to the Swiss Academy, continuing to devote his life to his art. Monet met a woman named Gaudibert who admired his art. She was one of the first to recognize his artistic abilities.
In 1867, while Monet was at an art event in Sainte-Adresse, his first son was born. Monet was 27, and he had to be away much of the time to promote his paintings. He also suffered from depression. There was a time in 1868 when Monet “tried to commit suicide”. But we admire the fact that he was able to overcome his depression and keep on with his art. All through his life Monet had to work hard. People did not buy Monet paintings at the start. Monet had to move his family many times, but he still painted.
In 1870, Monet married Camille-Léonie Doncieux, the woman who gave birth to his first son. Monet’s father died in 1871. Monet’s second son named Michael was born, but tragedy struck in 1879 when Monet’s wife died. After the death of his wife, he moved the family to Poissy. Not many people bought Monet paintings and Monet remained poor. So, in 1883 Monet moved the family again to a house he rented at Giverny. He died in 1926 at the age of 86.
At Giverny he started going to more exhibitions and Monet paintings became more popular. He earned more money and was able to buy the house. Monet fixed up the house to include gardens and a Japanese bridge. His yard became the subject for some of his most famous paintings. His popularity and fame grew. By 1907 Monet had painted many well-known paintings, but by then he had “his first problem with his eyesight”. He started to go blind. He still painted, though his eyes got worse. He wouldn’t stop painting until he was nearly blind. Monet lived at Giverny a total of 43 years during which time his second wife and his older son died.
When we read the biography we appreciate his life even more, knowing Monet overcame so many obstacles. Monet is a person who inspires people. Monet had inner strength, was hardworking, and imaginative. He also brought new ideas to the art world. Monet helped invent what we call “Impressionism”. A hero can be brave, and Monet was willing to dedicate his whole life to art. He wasn’t selfish because he thought of his family and worked to make a living for them and a good home. Because of all of this, Monet is our hero and a hero in the art world.

Boulevard des Capucines, 1873, Oil on canvas, 31.26 x 23.23 inches [79.4 x 59 cm]

The Seine at Bougival in the Evening, 1869, Oil on canvas, 23.62 x 28.94 inches [60 x 73.5 cm]

The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil, Oil on canvas

Jeanne-Marguerite Lecadre in the Garden, 1866, Oil on canvas

The women in the Garden, 1866-1867, Oil on canvas

The garden in flower, 1900, Oil on canvas

Woman with a Parasol, 1875, Oil on canvas

London: Houses of Parliament at Sunset, Oil on canvas

The Waterllily Pond, 1899, Oil on canvas

Water Lillies I, Oil on canvas

Poppies at Argenteuil, 1873, Oil on canvas, Original size: 50x65 cm.

A Cart on the Snow Covered Road with Saint-Simeon Farm, 1865, Oil on canvas

Argenteuil, Flowers by the Riverbank, 1877, Oil on canvas

Argenteuil, Late Afternoon, 1872, Oil on canvas

Apple Trees near Vetheuil, 1878, Oil on canvas

Argenteuil, Seen from the Small Arm of the Seine, 1872, Oil on canvas

Autumn on the Seine at Argenteuil, 1873, Oil on canvas

At the Parc Monceau, 1878, Oil on canvas

Asters, 1880, Oil on canvas

Arrival at Saint-Lazare Station, 1876, Oil on canvas

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Chess, but not mate

The government replaced the obedient members of the presidential commission with magistrates, which is a tough, but not deadly offensive against President Basescu, since he has got the Constitutional right to decide how he pleases.
The ministerial responsibility law was modified so that the Superior Council of Magistracy would appoint the members of the commission who consent to criminal inquiries against ministers. The members are to be appointed in 30 days' time and the criminal cases against officials are frozen until then.
The President may disregard magistrates' decision, but he will have to explain and announce the decision by which magistrates investigate on a minister. One more point set in the Emergency Ordinance no. 97 is the fact that the National Anti-Corruption Department has no longer got the right to ask for consent to the opening of criminal investigations against ministers. It is now only the general attorney's right. President Basescu is accusing the Tariceanu Cabinet of "abuse of power", outlining the Superior Council of Magistracy didn't consent to the emergency. And politicians don't share opinion on it.
Politicians comment on ordinance to modify presidential commission
Crin Antonescu, leader of Liberal deputies: "Basescu's personal instrument"
"Unfortunately, Romania's president is corrupted and cynical. After his failing plot with the Social-Democrat Party, he dares talk about democracy and independent Justice ! The Cotroceni commission has proved to be Traian Basescu's personal political instrument, but not a Justice instrument. (...)
Now the man in Cotroceni Palace may no longer remove people from the government the way he pleases, which is very benefic. Traian Basescu is deeply corrupted and abusive".
Peter Eckstein-Kovacs, senator from the Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania: "Arguable regulation"
"An arguable regulation is now arguably modified. The solution isn't against the Constitution, but it raises doubt on some magistrates' participation to an institution with administrative attributions, which is against the principle of the separation of powers in state"
Emil Boc, president of the Democrat Party: "Victory against the rule of law"
"The only emergency of the 2nd Tariceanu Cabinet is to overtly protect ministers by releasing documents to block the research of judges on ministers suspected of corruption. (...) Chiuariu, Pacuraru and Remes are above the law and they enjoy immunity. The ordinance is the Tariceanu Cabinet's victory against the rule of law".
Corneliu Vadim Tudor, leader of the Greater Romania Party: "Bravo ! Well done !"
"How come Basescu is investigating ? What has he got to do with the power of judges ? (...) Brave guy, Chiuariu ! Bravo ! Well done ! They took his toy. The justice minister has made no mistake so far. He is right, which is why my party will support all his initiatives".
Victor Ponta, vice president of the Social-Democrat Party: "The Liberals are afraid"
"I don't trust Liberals' sincerity. One year ago they voted against the law draft authored by myself and the party, which pursued to dismember the commission. Their emergency ordinance taking this measure shows the Liberals are afraid of the situation emerging because of the investigated ministers. I am now expecting an ordinance to dismember courts and the Parliament who voted against the government".
German MEP Markus Ferber: "A step back"
The German MEP Markus Ferber announced yesterday that he was going to ask Commissioner Franco Frattini to apply the safeguard clause on Romanian Justice, because of the government's decision to modify the ministerial responsibility law. He described the ordinance on the presidential commission as "a step back" in the fight against corruption and he opined the document was unable to destroy the nigh level corruption network. He commented it was unacceptable that the justice minister himself should propose such an ordinance, adding the European Commission had to think about measures and action.

Razvan Gheorghe & C.A.
Ziua saturday 6 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Basescu-Geoana Siamese and PD-PSD clones

The moment Mircea Geoana was elected a president of the party was the most uninspired in the history of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party). It is now obvious why Ion Iliescu was so furious that the party would be ruled by such a character. But his warnings were so obstinate that they seemed the mere frustration reflexes of the former Communist regime faced with the young man perceived as a reformist.
Adrian Nastase has in his turn been undermining the alliance with Mircea Geoana for three years now in order to make even with ex President Ion Iliescu, who had ceaselessly harassed him while a PM. In fact, Ion Iliescu had a determining contribution to Traian Basescu's victory in presidential elections, especially due to the decision to free Miron Cozma from jail, a man assailing candidate Adrian Nastase.
I am saying it again: after the general elections, the PSD missed the chance to keep Adrian Nastase head of the party, for his electoral legitimacy was almost equal to Traian Basescu's and he was leading the party that had actually won elections. But Adrian Nastase was asked to step back and even those he had promoted to the party and the government undermined him. Then Mircea Geoana agreed that a Liberal should take over the Chamber of Deputies only to sack his rival Adrian Nastase, hopeful he would deprive the latter of his last authority attribution.
But Mircea Geoana was wrong. Even without position and under judicial harassment (just as the others, the Christian-Democrats in particular, would be harassed while he was a PM), Adrian Nastase kept his authority over the party much greater than the PSD president's. The same goes for Ion Iliescu too. The party is now split in sides. The groups of Adrian Nastase and Ion Iliescu, once rivals, are getting regrouped these days, due to circumstances, to sack Mircea Geoana and presently fight for power. For the time being, people can feel Mircea Geoana, a terminator of the PSD, is collapsing and heading a different destination. The state of things in the PSD, that is enmity and dissolution, is the effect of domestic adversities and conspiracies. From this perspective the PSD is now strikingly resembling the National Christian-Democrat Party who committed suicide. This serves the PD (Democrat Party) and Traian Basescu.
A true leader attracts and makes leaders. A weak leader fears competition and does everything to do away with potential competitors. Mircea Geoana resembles Traian Basescu as far as this is concerned. Despite appearances and propaganda, Traian Basescu is a leader as weak as Mircea Geoana. Didn't he have equipment and structures to rely on, Traian Basescu would resemble "a silly boy", as he is also temperamental. The thirst for power and the hatred of anyone and anything opposing their personal interests make them perfectly similar.
Traian Basescu destroyed all the PD leaders, now presidential remote controls. The inflatable PD is only up to President Basescu's popularity rate. Mircea Geoana is destroying some PSD leaders. Cristian Diaconescu, now very nervous, is one of them, unfortunately. The PSD is about to explode and the PD is smouldering. Both parties' leaders are taking desperate measures for intimidation, they are expelling those sensible minds who opposed the bill against the government. But the riot can't be repressed for too long. Several Democrats are now aware that Traian Basescu's service is only momentary and in the future it will turn into a disadvantage. There are also many Social-Democrats aware that, because he is obsessed with power, Mircea Geoana is turning the PSD into a clone of the PD.

Roxana Iordache
Ziua saturday 6 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Total war in PSD

Mircea Geoana, president of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), wants to depose all party members opposing him: Ion Iliescu, Adrian Nastase and the group in Cluj, represented by Vasile Puscas. The PSD leader is actually trying to make the failure of the bill against the government serve him and eliminate those top members who may reproach him for the failure in the Parliament or may who want him out in the near future.
Central party leaders have summoned the representatives of all party branches to a meeting to take place in Brasov, expected to be the bloodiest PSD reunion by far. Ion Iliescu and Adrian Nastase will be reproached for their statements and ballots against the bill. Vasile Puscas is also targeted. Dan Tudorache, obedient to Geoana, has threatened to expel him, although the leader of the group in Cluj claims he voted for the bill. The attitude of Marian Vanghelie is surprising: he is against expelling the guilty from the party. Local party branches don't share opinion on the sanctioning or forgiving of the 'betrayers'.
Ion Iliescu strikes vehemently
Ion Iliescu wouldn't participate in the play to be staged in Brasov, although a member of both the Permanent National Committee and the Executive Committee. But the honorary president of the PSD has kept on denying and criticizing Geoana's decisions vehemently. He commented: "This man came with the wave, when the PSD was in power. If we talk about a call for betrayal, then Mr. Geoana has got no moral authority to talk about it".
While in Constanta he argued: "People get together in a party for the sake of some values. This is what keeps them together, but not the boss's whip. This is the primitive outlook of some who don't really know what politics is and who were not part of the great battles that built post-revolutionary democracy in Romania. Geoana and his men came after 2000, when difficulties had been settled. But now they want to put things in order in a party built with so many efforts and with the contribution of reliable and serious people. But here they are to impose some rules for children's games or for primitive humans who don't know what a party is, who think it is like in military camps where a commander orders and everyone bows, isn't it ?" (...)

Roxana Andronic
Ziua saturday 6 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

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Zangy Comment Graphics

* ROMANIA's WONDERS *

Saligny Bridge – Cernavoda – It was inaugurated in 1895, after 5 Years of construction, and is constituted of two metallic bridges with an total length of 330 meters.

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President is rude again

Romanian President Traian Basescu hasn't given up his dirty language. After "faggot", "pussy" and "filthy gypsy", yesterday he told a female journalist: "Of course. I'll come straight to your office and we do it".
President Basescu has never made a secret of his disdain for journalists. The words quoted above are words he used to call some journalists. But there are also statements with indecent hints. Yesterday while in Branesti, Romania, the President was asked by a female journalist if he was making a statement in Bucharest on the failure on the bill against the government. And he answered: "Of course. I'll come straight to your office and we do it".
The President took various TV shows and interviews for opportunities to express his opinion on journalists: "The press is more hungry for shows than politicians are. Many a time journalists provoke the show or do away with it. I can give a list of 10 journalists who would starve to death, were there no politicians".
Liberal senator Puiu Hasotti: "Bad manners"
"To be ironical is one thing, typical of the clever people. But bad manners are something else. One mustn't mistake one for the other".
Democrat senator Radu Berceanu: "No sexual connotation"
"Some people prove a certain sexual call. I watched the recording on TV and I can only say the President gave a right answer to the journalist's question. It had no sexual connotation".
Lavinia Sandru, deputy from the National Initiative Party: "He is constant"
"He is constant. Because of such statements he has obviously lost women's support. The National Council against Discrimination should take action".
Political analyst Stelian Tanase: "A truck diver style"
"There can be two possible explanations. One is related to his temper and reminds about his noisy young years. The second one is that people like his truck driver style, part of electoral calculations. He releases anti-capitalist messages against the educated class, but people appreciate it. People don't pay attention to such speech and the impression left is that it is normal for journalists and educated people to be aggressed, even verbally. After offending the Antena 1 journalist in the referendum day, he popularity was not at all harmed".

Anca Hriban & Cristian Andrei
Ziua friday 5 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Social-Democrats may reach government

The leaders of the PNL (National Liberal Party) have not denied the idea of allowing Mircea Geoana's Social-Democrats to join the government after the election of MEPs takes place. PNL sources say there will follow some changes in the government. The ministers likely to be replaced are foreign minister Adrian Cioroianu, education minister Cristian Adomnitei, Justice minister Tudor Chiuariu and Mihai Voicu, a minister in charge of relations with the Parliament.
The presence of some Social-Democrats in the government would mean reliable parliamentary support for the Tariceanu Cabinet and the end of the dispute on the state budget, the same sources claim.
The PNL deputy Emilian Francu admitted it yesterday that the Liberals were planning a "larger" government for after the election of MEPs. (...)
The Liberal PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu told the PNL leaders last Wednesday that he might agree to a "larger governing structure" after the election of MEPs, sources add. The PM is also claimed to have advised the Liberals to refrain from making official statements against the Social-Democrats and target Cotroceni Palace and Emil Boc's Democrats instead.

Razvan Gheorghe
Ziua friday 5 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

PSD leader wants to expel four members

Mircea Geoana, president of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), is trying to save himself after the failure of the bill against the government. The PSD leaders decided yesterday to withdraw party support and open procedures to expel from the party the following members: Ion Solcanu, Razvan Theodorescu, Dan Mihalache and Alin Theodorescu. The four were officially reproached for their public statements against the PSD bill, but not for their ballots against the bill.
Mircea Geoana didn't dare criticize senator Ion Iliescu, an honorary president of the PSD, although yesterday the latter kept on accusing party heads and all the sanctions they set. Still Ion Iliescu's fate may be decided by the executive committee of the PSD due to meet next Saturday in Brasov. Party sources claim they may talk about expelling Ion Iliescu from the party. (...)

Roxana Andronic
Ziua friday 5 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Postponed final

The government, that is the winner in the history of bills against the government, gets nothings, whereas the losers, that is the President, the PD (Democrat Party) and the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), are trying hard to blame the failure on each other. The assault against the Liberals isn't over yet. The 2nd Tariceanu Cabinet can still be shaken at least twice before the mandate is up. What is next ?
While Mircea Geoana's credibility as a leader is harmed, the PSD may still be at advantage due to the defeat of the bill. It is so because public opinion has finally learned that the left, represented by the most important parliamentary party, has decided to use attributions and behave like a true opposition party. The this time serious attempt to overthrow the government is an argument for those longing for a change to head the PSD in elections. Such an advantage, paradoxically emerging from defeat, would have been even greater had Mircea Geoana not committed the mistake of involving his party in an alliance with the PD and with President Traian Basescu, an alliance which is abnormal. The distance between the Socialists and the Conservatives is maximum, at least in ideology terms. Unless everything is a joke and unless what we see is the show on the return to the mother ship, that is the Front for National Salvation.
There is another strange element. Had the bill passed, the great loser wouldn't have been the PNL (National Liberal Party), who would have got a good chance to get back their electorate from the opposition, but the PSD, who would have missed the time fit for an ascent that only a party in the opposition can get when its adversaries' mandate is over. The great winner wouldn't have been the PSD, but Traian Basescu. He would have helped the PD get power and leave both the Socialists and the Liberals behind.
Given such arguments, at the end of this bill soap opera Mircea Geoana looks discredited. His adversaries can now regroup and wait to proceed to the final offensive after the election of MEPs, in case the PSD's score is poor, which is likely. He has thus weakened the Liberals even more. He has consolidated the belief of his own electorate that to get power again may not be such a far away objective. But the written alliance with the PSD may be a weak point. The PD has demonized the Socialist left much too much. Collaboration with the PSD, whether in power, as written in the Protocol, or in the opposition, can't avoid negative effects and splits among the adepts. The PD leaders have once again proved their lack of moral sense.
But the President keeps silent. Except for offending a female journalist yesterday, he is refraining from statements on the failure of the bill, although he was extremely active on it. Why is Traian Basescu silent ? Out of political instinct. He is aware that, if he speaks up now, many things will be blamed on him. But if he does nothing, it is Mircea Geoana who will be blamed instead.
The 2nd Tariceanu Cabinet and the PNL in particular are in great difficulty. If they can be victorious when taking responsibility for the uninominal vote law to come into force in 2012 it is not known. It is neither known whether the budget passed or not.
There are at least two circumstances under which the 2nd Tariceanu Cabinet may collapse. If will happen unless the Liberals start thinking about a majority 3rd Tariceanu government. It would be achieved not due to the Liberals' president, because he has lost his call for negotiations. If such majority is established with the PSD, then Mircea Geoana shouldn't attend the talks. For all these reasons I think the new denouement will be not before, but after the election of MEPs.

Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua friday 5 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

* ROMANIA's WONDERS *

People House(in Ceausescu Era)/Parliament Palace(today) – Bucharest – Tis is the second greatest building of the World (as total build area), with an build area of 330.000 sqm. The building have 12 overground floors and 8 udergrounded.

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Fate of 'betrayers' decided today

The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) president Mircea Geoana and the other party leaders got together last evening to think about what to do with the 'betrayers' who had voted against the bill. In today's meeting of party officials Mircea Geoana is going to ask for sanctions against those who had opposed the government collapse, after pointing to expelling last evening.
But Viorel Hrebenciuc came up with a compromise solution. PSD sources claim he suggested rebuke would do.

Roxana Andronic
Ziua thursday 4 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Promise: In power in 10 days' time

Yesterday morning Mircea Geoana, a president of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), asked his MPs to vote for the bill against the government, promising that the PSD would negotiate with the PD (Democrat Party) on a "multiple inspiration" government, party sources say. "The PSD may be in power in 10 days' time", he promised the PSD senators and deputies.
The PSD leader even claimed President Traian Basescu had been on TV to lobby for the bill after having talked to him in order to make preparations for the next step to be taken after the bill. They say Mircea Geoana told party officials: "I've just talked to the PM on the phone and he says he is making no deal with us for fear of Basescu". Therefore, he went on, the only solution left for the PSD is a national union government with the PD, a version negotiated last evening between the PSD and the PD. (...)
Nicolae Vacaroiu, a speaker for the Romanian Senate, claimed in his turn that there was an agreement between the PSD and the PD on the making of a "multiple inspiration" government. He said he didn't know about a written protocol or about the number of future ministers from the PD.
The PSD spokesman Cristian Diaconescu denied it at once, claiming there was no deal until the bill failed. Most Social-Democrats were claiming there was no protocol reached between the PSD and the PD and that Nicolae Vacaroiu probably wanted to scare the Liberals.

Roxana Andronic
Ziua thursday 4 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Seal of love

Despite the agreement between the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) and the PD (Democrat Party) with blessing from Cotroceni Palace, the PSD bill against the government failed yesterday. PSD sources claimed the two parties had made a deal to overthrow the Tariceanu Cabinet. The PSD had asked for written guarantees, President Basescu's included. A document had been signed by the very head of state, granting the PSD with access to a government mostly of PD members, the same sources added.
But the decision the MPs reached yesterday by their ballots shows the agreement was just mimed. The ballot counting unveils that the members of the PD, the PSD and the PLD (Liberal Democrat Party) disobeyed the orders from their own party heads. Ballots from all the members of the three parties would have exceeded the 232 polls the bill needed to pass. Given this, Mircea Geoana's days as president of the PSD are counted.
Because of he bill failure, the government is to expect assails from all sides or it may prove able to calm the hot spirits in politics down. This is up to PM Tariceanu's skill to negotiate with the main politicians on the 2008 budget and on the changing of the date when the new pension law is to come into force. The negotiations are due to start today.
There were 220 MPs who voted for the bill, 152 voted against it and 115 didn't vote at all. Given the counting, there were more than 30 'traitors' who gave a hand so that the Liberal PM would stay in Victoria Palace. (...)
The PSD leader Mircea Geoana blamed the failure on the "cowardliness" of the MPs scared with the early election idea or with a new government. He avoided mentioning the "deficiencies", but he warned that, unless voting for it, Ion Iliescu would have to explain to the PSD branch he was part of. The PD leader Emil Boc blamed it on the PSD, mentioning there were 29 deficiencies because of this party. Senate speaker Nicolaie Vacaroiu replied: "It is Boc who is partly guilty of the failure, because in the voting day he denied any talks and collaboration protocol between the PD and the PSD".
"There were talks with both the PNL and the PD"
As for the MPs longing for a new government, they proved diligent yesterday. Adrian Nastase no longer left abroad, Adrian Severin returned to Romania and Raluca Turcan was there, although pregnant. Still Ion Iliescu's friend Razvan Theodorescu and Ioan Solcanu said it clearly that they would vote against the bill.
Some PSD members pointed to Ion Iliescu, Sorin Oprescu and Adrian Nastase, although in the morning they were claiming the bill would pass. They said the PD "bought" ballots from some Liberals and the victory was sure. The Liberals weren't intimidated by the crowding MPs and the Social-Democrats' confidence and started lobbying on every PSD MPs, promising funds in the territory, government changes and the possibility to sign a protocol after the election of MEPs. In the end the Liberals managed to persuade 7 senators and 15 deputies in it.

Roxana Andronic, Razvan Gheorghe, M.T. & A.I.
Ziua thursday 4 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Calin Popescu Highlander and a sedative for Basescu

ZIUA spoiled the day of backstage servants. Yesterday before the start of the debate on the bill against the government, the ZIUA director Sorin Rosca Stanescu delivered live on Antena 3 TV station a bomb that exploded straight in the faces of those who had done everything to get power again, of the Front for National Salvation kind. Sorin Rosca Stanescu informed both public opinion and most of the MPs who had no idea about a protocol between the PSD and the PD (Democrat Party), established with consent from President Traian Basescu.
The Pharisee-like propaganda attitude of the President and of the PD and PSD leaders came out. They say one thing, but they do the other backstage. Traian Basescu claimed the PSD was public enemy no. 1 who supported the Liberal government from the shadow, and the PD leader Emil Boc claimed the same. But the PSD supported the government that much that they came up with the bill against the Tariceanu Cabinet. And the PD joined it. They also claimed the 322 MPs who voted for the suspension of the Romanian President were some villains to be driven away. But it was proved that Traian Basescu and the PD would have actually given anything for at least 232 of the 322 MPs to vote for the bill.
State interests were dropped in pubs and palaces. They proved indifferent to national priorities. National budget, election of MEPs, the NATO summit Bucharest is to house, assimilation of EU funds, fight against corruption, separation of economy from politics and no political interference in economy, they all are issues that Tariceanu government is concerned with and working for, despite the dreadful pressure. But the opposition has ignored them.
Right now both the PSD and the PD are in a more than embarrassing situation. They made fools of themselves in the eyes of their own electors. The PSD is a fool because of the prostitution with the PD to serve President Basescu, although just a few month before the party initiated the suspension of President Basescu and supported the Tariceanu government without PD members. It is also to be assumed that the PSD has got electors cleverer than the poor manipulated, people who honestly trust the left and would really like to see the PSD prove a modern left doctrine of the Tony Blair kind, instead of the old Communist smelling propaganda, as provided last night in the Parliament by Dan Mircea Popescu. Ceausescu himself would have voted for it, for something of the "redistribution to meets needs". But anyway, as foreseen, Mircea Geoana is history. The bill failed and he failed with it too.
The shoes the PD is in are even worse than those of the PSD. The Democrats voted against their own ministers in the first Tariceanu Cabinet, sacking them by bill. And they voted against the right government criticized by the PSD. Deputy Radulescu's speech against the Liberal Party resembles the denunciations common at the time when the ex Communist Secret Service in Romania used to get reports. But today he dares, like the PD does, to plead for lustration. There are also characters like Cristian Boureanu, most unrelenting enemies of the National Liberal Party, but who would have never reached the Parliament had there been no National Liberal Party. The latter will have to consider a priority such as ban on political migration or expelling from the Parliament as sanction.
But of course PM Calin Tariceanu, his government and party have got no reason to boast about victory. They passed the budget test, but obsessed President Basescu will do everything to sabotage the government. He had instigated against it one evening before the bill debate, urging the PSD and the PD to vote for no governmental project. As for the Tariceanu Cabinet's duties, some other time.

Roxana Iordache
Ziua thursday 4 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

* ROMANIA's WONDERS *

Mogosoaia Palace – near Bucharest – It was build by Constantin Brancoveanu, the Muntenia ruler, between 1698 and 1702. This monument is now connected at two international cultural networks.

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IMF is optimistic

In 2007 and 2008 Romania's gross domestic product is going to grow with 6%. Albert Jaeger, head of the IMF mission in Romania and Bulgaria, estimated it yesterday. It is to be reminded that in the first term this year the GDP had a growth of only 5,8% and that Romania underwent severe drought last summer.
According to the initial draft on the 2008 budget, as presented by the Romanian economy minister Varujan Vosganian, the budget deficit is to reach 2,7% of the GDP. The current account deficit, the fiscal and salary policies, a possibility such of overheating economy and the international financial crisis are the main fears of Romanian economy. Jaeger also mentioned that the instability prevailing in Romanian politics was an obstacle against the making of the medium term economic strategies the state needed. He added the need was somehow illustrated by the funds Romania could get from the EU. The EU has got 7-year financial prospects, he claimed, and Romania needs planning for the exploitation of opportunities.
Another issue the IMF official raised was the pension system reform. He estimated Romania would face difficulties with it after 2008 and it needed a strategy for the time to come after 2009. (...)

F.B.
Ziua wednesday 3 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Lobby for bill against government

The President of Romania Traian Basescu came out yesterday to explain Presidency's view on the fate of the Social-Democrats' bill against the government. He announced that, if the Parliament passed the bill, he would talk to the parties and appoint a PM to try to establish a majority on the nucleus made by the PNL (National Liberal Party), the PD (Democrat Party) and the PLD (Liberal Democrat Party).
The officials of both Parliament Chambers are to debate on the bill against the government today at 12:00.
Choice for a Democrat PD
The President informed yesterday: "My choice is certainly a PD PM. This PM's duty is to make a team and a plan and find 50% plus 1 support in the Parliament. Unless the PM finds such support, although I will be taking all efforts to help him, I will make a second move: try to talk to the parliamentary parties and establish a national union government to govern till the following elections". The President added that, in case this failed too, then early elections would follow. Still he mentioned "But we know this is not the case and the second government will pass".
Olteanu and Hrebenciuc made a deal
The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) and the PNL agreed in yesterday's talks to vote against the bill against the government, parliamentary sources claim. The PSD wanted power in exchange for voting against their own bill, whereas the Liberals insinuated they would be willing to govern together with the PSD after the election of MEPs.
Sources also say the PSD delegation for talks was made up of Mircea Geoana, Cristian Diaconescu, Titus Corlatean and Viorel Hrebenciuc. On the other side, in the PNL delegation there were Bogdan Olteanu, Titus Gheorghiof, Puiu Hasotti and Crin Antonescu.
Imminent government changes
PNL sources mention that Liberal leaders such as Norica Nicolai and Puiu Hasotti suggested that, after the PSD reached derision, there should follow changes in the Tariceanu Cabinet. It mainly regards foreign minister Adrian Cioroianu, education minister Cristian Adomnitei and Justice minister Tudor Chiuariu. (...)

Roxana Andronic & Razvan Gheorghe
Ziua wednesday 3 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Europe's gypsies

Romanian criminals, mostly of Roma origin, have horrified the EU, which is why Romanian citizens are driven away from EU states.
Italy is threatening to make the law harsher and settle visas for the Romanians who want to travel there. Since 2006 until now in Italy there were arrested 76 Romanians for murder, 475 for rape, 700 for trafficking in humans and prostitution and no less than 20,000 for theft. The mayor of Rome warned Bucharest authorities that, unless they took the responsibility for the Romanian migrants, the issue might be tackled at EU level. Sandro Gozi, a president of the migration committee in the Italian Parliament, told ZIUA that Romanians might get to travel on visas again. The official pointed to the lack of any communication with Romanian MPs on Romanian migrants.
On the other hand, Codrut Seres has summoned the Italian ambassador to the foreign affairs committee in order to reproach him for the "xenophobe" attitude of the mayor of Rome.
Another measure Italy may take against all the Romanians might be repatriation on grounds of public security. The Party of Romanians in Italy is having demonstrations today in Rome to protest against Italian press offensives against the Romanian community.
Expelled because of threatening public security
Extremist organizations used Molotov cocktails against Rome people tents, asking them to leave. The Italian interior minister announced he was analyzing the idea to allow local authorities to expel community citizens, mostly Romanians, thought to be a menace against security in Italy.
Walter Veltron, a mayor of Rome, mentioned he asked the Italian interior minister Giuliano Amato and the Rome prefect Carlo Mosca to modify the normative decree, according to which repatriation is allowed only in case of threat against national security. Amato said he was thinking about meeting the Rome mayor's request and granting authorities with the right to expel community citizens if they were a threat against public security. The Italian minister is taking it for a means to help calm strain down in certain quarters where immigrants commit many crimes and also to fight against ultranationalist attitude, headed mostly against Roma people, an attitude that has lately been growing in Italy.
The community citizen status provides Romanians with the right to enter Italy. The Italian minister said he was standing by those heading his country to get jobs, but he outlined the need for means not to grant free access to those wishing to commit crimes. Amato claimed it was just a project for the time being, since it was not clear under which circumstances an EU citizen might be expelled from one member state. Last June the Italian minister released a report describing Romanians together with the Moroccans and Albanians as the most dangerous criminals in Italy.
The great migration
Due to Romania's EU membership and the elimination of visas, Romanian criminals have lately been heading mostly Spain and Italy. This is the reason why some gangs specialized in thefts are no longer here. This is what fuels the perception according to which criminality has been diminishing. Our criminals didn't retire, they just changed their action place for Spain and Italy. But when they are caught and sent home, criminality will have a significant growth. The latest event involving Romanians took place last week, when 1 Romanian was killed and 2 were severely injured by gun bullets in a quarter in northern Rome. (...)

Bogdan Galca
Ziua wednesday 3 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

* ROMANIA's WONDERS *

Metropolitan Chatedral – Iasi – This Cathedral was builded in two etapes (first between 1833-1839, the second respectively between 1880-1888). Is famous for the annual pilgrimage at the holly bones of Christian Saint Parascheva.

* ----- *

Girly glitter comments from www.GirlyTags.com

Putin-Basescu scenario

The Russian President's announcement that he might become a PM after the presidential elections in March 2008 has bewildered the whole world. The tough man in Kremlin will go on ruling the Russian Federation as PM by placing an obedient President. An idea such as Romania's slide towards totalitarianism of the Russian kind has recently been analyzed in Bucharest. Sorin Rosca Stanescu mentioned a hypothesis such as President Basescu turning into a PM. The ex Romanian President Emil Constantinescu and Doina Cornea have also accused the Romanian President of authoritarian tendencies resembling those of Vladimir Putin.
ZIUA prediction on Basescu-Putin
In his editorial published in September 15 and titled 'The deadly shift', Sorin Rosca Stanescu opined that Traian Basescu would give up presidency to become a PM and thus attain his goals. He was arguing as follows: "Traian Basescu has got a solution that may turn into a lethal weapon for his political adversary, given the approaching elections. It consists in a surprising shift in the President-government relations. Traian Basescu can practically announce that he is no longer joining the electoral confrontation for the 2009 presidential elections because of striking back to the leadership over a coalition made up of the PD (Democrat Party) and the PLD (Liberal Democrat Party) and aspiring to the PM job, whereas presidency would go to Theodor Stolojan. Not only that such a solution would really confuse the other parties, but it would also be lethal to them due to the final score. This may provide comfortable majority to the present presidential coalition and reliable political support to the future government. Not last, it may be Traian Basescu's chance to get himself reloaded for his second mandate as President, in 2014". There was also the idea that Theodor Stolojan might reach Cotroceni Palace: "Given these, the solution considered in the Cotroceni political lab, the second great shift between Traian Basescu and Theodor Stolojan, is not only spectacular and surprising, but also realistic. It is a play typical of Traian Basescu. If he gets to head the PD again, Traian Basescu will manage to restore discipline in his party, do away with the rebels and those who drew criminal cases for themselves and be a firm ruler, persuading the party into rejecting the idea of sharing work and success with the PLD. The pride of the PLD would be satisfied with a candidate to Presidency in the person of Theodor Stolojan".
Constantinescu's accusation: Basescu is Putin's clone
In September 16 the ex Romanian President Emil Constantinescu claimed in an interview to Mediafax Agency that the Basescu regime was a parody of the Putin regime, as the Romanian President was controlled by the secret services wishing to coordinate Romania economically and politically. (...)
Doina Cornea: Basescu causes separation
In her interview to ZIUA in September 22, Doina Cornea commented: "In my opinion, Basescu is a politician who, by his moves, makes us all feel insecure. His attitude has even managed to separate the Magyars. He dismembered everything on his way, starting with the National Christian-Democrat Party, my party, when he dismembered the Ciorbea government. When he was a minister of transport, he used to say Romania didn't need highways and this is how a lot of time was wasted. Now it is him who criticizes the government for not building enough highways, as if they could be built in one single day. How come he dares criticize the government for this ? It is only the intriguers and immoral people who use such means. I am sorry I have to say such things".

L.P., A.M.L. & G.D.
Ziua tuesday 2 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Misinformation

The documents proving the SRI (Romanian Secret Service) did political police action were falsified. Yesterday it was the same Mugur Ciuvica, a head of the Group for Political Investigations, who produced the 'authentic' documents, bearing the signature of the SRI chief accompanied by the direction that they should be provided to the Romanian President.
According to Mugur Ciuvica, it was the SRI chief Radu Timofte who consented and the documents were sent to President Traian Basescu. Sergiu Medar, formerly a chief of the National Security Department and also a presidency adviser, knows nothing about these reports.
And there is also the fact that, apart from the two documents, Mugur Ciuvica fetched another two: one on "intention of the Social-Democrat Party to replace Victor Ponta as secretary of the Chamber of Deputies" and the other one, dated October 21, 2005, regarding "certain intentions of the National Liberal Party". The documents were also meant for the Inspectorate for Constitution Protection and Economic Security in the SRI, a department that "identifies and evaluates local and regional risks with possible influences or determinations on Romania's national security".
The SRI postponed the presentation of the report to the parliamentary committee. Ion Stan, a member of the latter committee and formerly a head of it, claims it is about misinformation plotted by foreign secret services. As for Mugur Ciuvica, he claims he has produced the authentic documents because the SRI didn't admit the their authenticity and President Basescu didn't take distance from political police action. (...)
Radu Stroe, head of the parliamentary committee of control over the SRI: "I'm dreaded !"
"Reading the materials from the Group for Political Investigations, I am seized with dread, if these things are real. I thought it was an accident, but I see things are getting complicated. The new information unveiled casts a different light on the whole case. And a mere report from the SRI can no longer be enough for the committee. I am waiting to see the documents from the Group for Political Investigations. Yesterday they called the committee to say they wanted to hand us the authentic materials".
Social-Democrat deputy Victor Ponta: "Not a serious thing"
"This is not a serious thing, since the great news on replacing me was in the press. I don't know if the SRI or someone else monitors the press. That famous information on myself being sacked as a secretary was in the whole press then, there was nothing secret. In my opinion, this is just a continuation of the battle between the National Liberal Party and the SRI and I can't understand while I am involved in it". (...)

Doru Dragomir, Razvan Gheorghe & Marius Batca
Ziua tuesday 2 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Mircea Geoana bit Cotroceni bait

The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) wants a national union government, but there have been no talks with the PD (Democrat Party). The PSD president Mircea Geoana said it yesterday while talking to some retired Romanians in Bragadiru.
He claimed that, in case the bill against the government passed, there were three possibilities available: a left government, a right government or a multi-party one. He claimed he hadn't talked to the Democrats about it a day before when the new Patriarch had been enthroned.
He didn't even deny a possibility such as future government headed by the same PM, that is Liberal Calin-Popescu Tariceanu, but he argued that the present government was not an option. He commented he wasn't sure about a PSD-PD government to emerge and he neither denied the idea of a national union government to be grounded on this nucleus. He explained: "I can't picture a PSD-PD government. But if the PSD and the PD provide parliamentary support to a government made of members from more parties, this is a different thing".
Ion Iliescu: "A fanciful idea"
Ion Iliescu, an honorary president of the party, described Traian Basescu's idea about a national union government as "a fanciful, unrealistic idea lacking grounds".
Marko Bela, a leader of the Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania (UDMR), is against the idea too, claiming such a solution is needed only at times of crisis, which is not the case in today's Romania. He commented: "A national union government is needed at times of crisis when, regardless of the doctrine, one must give a hand and settle the crisis".

Roxana Andronic & Razvan Gheorghe
Ziua tuesday 2 octombrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english