Română
Read the report here (RO only).
On Feb 6, at 11.00, at Hilton Hotel, Bucharest, together with our special guest Andrei Plesu, we launch EFOR’s annual report analyzing the most important developments from the last year and making forecasts. In brief, the year 2013 confirmed the public’s worst expectations from 2012: it ended in a flurry of attempts by the political class to undermine the judiciary and the rule of law. The only good news, if there is one, is that institutions held their ground (so far) against the assault of a solid cross-party majority in Parliament, who tried to decriminalize corruption at the top, and this despite the absence of an effective political opposition to support them.
In foreign policy, the government seems to contemplate the idea of rallying support from outside the Euro-Atlantic zone for various economic projects, public or private, probably to be on the safe side if the EU decides one day to apply real sanctions for breaking the Copenhagen criteria. The day is still far off, but less unimaginable than three-four years ago, because: (i) the commitment of some member states – Romania included – to the European community of norms and values seems to weaken; and (ii) the quality of homework done in preparation for the financial framework 2014-2020 by the Romanian authorities looks no better than last time, in 2007, when we had the excuse of the newcomer.
In addition, as we have warned early in 2013, the plan to bolster the intermediary tiers of governance – by creating regions and strengthening the county councils – proved to be not only difficult to implement politically, but eventually unconstitutional. It also ran against the main trends in administrative reforms in Europe. Now is a good moment to revert to the true priorities of Romania: the reform of communes and the metropolitan zones.
Watch the event (RO only)
