Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
against corruption and improved relations with Romania's
neighbours, especially Hungary.
Scandal and corruption surrounded the November 2000
electoral race. In May of that year the National Fund for In-
vestment (NFI) collapsed. Thousands of investors - mainly
pensioners who'd deposited their life savings into the govern-
ment fund - took to the streets to demand their cash back
(US$47.4 million, long squandered by the NFI).
After Constantinescu refused to run in the 2000 'Mafia-
style' elections, Iliescu retook the helm as the country's pres-
ident and his Social Democrat Party (PSD) formed a minority
government, with Adrian Nastase as prime minister. The 2004
elections were marred by accusations of electoral fraud, and
there were two rounds of voting before Traian Băsescu was
announced the winner, with 51% of the votes. The PNL (Na-
tional Liberal Party) leader, Călin Popescu Tăriceanu, became
prime minister and swore in a new coalition that excluded the
PSD.
The government's main goal, aside from addressing the
many domestic issues, was integration with international bod-
ies, most notably the EU. In 2002 Romania was invited to join
NATO. Romania (and Bulgaria) finally joined the EU in 2007,
their membership having been delayed by Romania's record of
organised crime, corruption and food safety. The EU has been
a big supporter of Romania's EU cause, with Brussels granting
billions of euros to infrastructure, business development, environmental protection and so-
cial services. In 2009, though minor progress had been noted, it was reproached for lack
of momentum.
Best Places to
Catch the
Ghost of Vlad
Ţepeş
»Head to his birthplace
in Sighişoara and have
a coffee outside his
house.
»Imprison yourself for
an hour in Bran Castle
where the bloodthirsty
Ţepeş was interned.
»Climb up to ghostly
Poienari Citadel,
Vlad's stronghold, en
route to the Trans-
făgărăşan Road.
»In Târgovişte, where
Vlad had 20,000 Turks
impaled.
Băsescu re-nominated Emil Boc as prime
minister in December 2009, following which a
coalition government of the centre-right
Democrat Liberals and UDMR was formed.
Boc resigned in 2012 following street protests
and increasing pressure from the Opposition to
call early elections. He was followed briefly by
Mihai Razvan Ungureanu, and later trounced by Victor Ponta, leader of the Social Demo-
cratic Party, who formed a coalition with National Liberal Party.
The Securitate was finally abolished in late 1989,
after Ceauşescu was ousted, leaving behind a dam-
aging footprint of paranoia and mistrust that is still
not entirely gone from the Romanian psyche today.
