The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat says that because it is forever caught in the race for ratings, tele-journalism suffers from a dangerous confusion between freedom of the press and freedom to arrive at pure invention. Politics Bedros Horasangian notices that the press recently criticized Adriean Videanu, for his winter vacation abroad, as if the vacation and not the snow had recently paralyzed traffic in the capital. Videanu is Bucharest’s unpopular mayor. Ciprian Ciucu looks at last year’s structurally faulty achievements in administration and reform and suggests that the same problems threaten 2008. 2007: the Observer takes a backward glance Michael Shafir sees 2007 as a referendum year that culminated in the European parliamentary elections. Arina Petrovici focuses on Islamic terrorist activity. Alexandru Hancu puts world leaders and politicians under the microscope. Paul Cernat and Adina Dinitoiu survey last year’s literary scene. Book reviews Dumitru Popoiu comments on Mircea Eliade’s Istoria credintelor si a ideilor religioase, 4th volume, De la epoca marilor descoperiri geografice pina in prezent (A History of Religious Ideas, volume 4, From the Age of the Great Geographical Discovery to the Present, Iasi: Polirom, 2007). Ioana Paverman writes about Francois Furet & Ernst Nolte’s Fascism si comunism (Fascism and […]