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The Observer, in short

Death Threat Ovidiu Simonca interviews Vladimir Tismaneanu on the anti-Semitic death threat he recently received. The menacing letter was mailed from Bucharest.. Tismaneanu says that the threat must come from some ex-Securitate members connected to the Greater Romania Party. Lead article Thel Observer publishes various excerpts from Cristian Mungiu’s press conferences and interviews. Politics Sabina Fati comments on Calin Popescu Tariceanu’s …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat discusses the ways President Basescu’s versatile discourse differs from his performance, which leads to reflections on the attitudes of some well-known intellectuals who support the President nevertheless. Politics Sabina Fati says that PNL (National Liberal Party) and PSD (Social Democratic Party) can only rise from their post-referendum ashes if Calin Popescu-Tariceanu (PNL) and Mircea Geoana (PSD) resign. Ciprian Ciucu discusses …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Ovidiu Simonca comments on the incident involving President Traian Basescu and journalist Andreea Pana, who used her mobile phone to film the President in a supermarket. Although the President confiscated Pana’s mobile, the journalist got her phone back a few hours later. She then discovered that her phone had gone on filming and that President Basescu had called her a “stinking gypsy.

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat comments on the chaos generated by Parliament’s having suspended President Trian Basescu. One unfortunate result is that religious discourse tends to replace democratic political discussion. Politics On May 19th Romanians will vote no to annul President Basescu’s suspension or yes to ratify it. Ciprian Ciucu, Ovidiu Simonca, Sabina Fati discuss the electoral campaigns and the protagonists’ attitudes. Recent …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat comments on the Young Writers’ Colloquy in Cluj, organized by the Writers’ Union. Musat observes that neither youth nor age defines literary value and that in any event the Colloquy is a hold-over from the old regime. Politics Sabina Fati discusses the debate conducted by Realitatea Television in collaboration with Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Realitatea has invited the leaders …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat discusses the case of Vintila Horia (d. 1992). Horia won then lost (in 1960) the Prix Goncourt for his novel Dumnezeu s-a nascut in exil (God was Born in Exile). Musat examines the delicate relationship between an author’s work and his biography, especially sensitive in this case where the life was marked in different ways by extremist ideologies from the right …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Ovidiu Simonca writes that as part of The Observer’s on-going participation in Romanian cultural events, the Observer’s editorial team assisted at The Meeting of the Arts at the National College "Gheorghe Vranceanu" in Bacau on April 21st as well as at Book Day at the Cervantes Institute in Bucharest on April 23rd. The arts meeting had to do with saving Bacau’s historic buildings. …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat comments on Vladimir Sorokin’s critique of Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and concludes that Russia isn’t the only country that can boast of homo sovieticus, even after the fall of Communism. Politics Sabina Fati discusses the politics of Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu’s new Ministers, who may not be able to respect the electoral program with which …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat comments on Gabriel Liiceanu’s defamation in Ziua, which published several hostile articles, also accusing another two known intellectuals, Mihai Sora and Zigu Ornea, of collaboration with the Securitate. Politics Sabina Fati discusses Prime Minister’s Calin Popescu Tariceanu’s project for a new governmental cabinet with PNL-UDMR members (National Liberal Party-the Magyar Democratic Union in Romania). Fati says that this is based …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Pleading for a democratic dialogue, Ovidiu Simonca discusses Romania’s relationship with the Moldavian Republic, which needs to develop beyond President Vladimir Voronin’s rather fixed ideas. Politics Sabina Fati compares the French commune of Donzy with Transylvania here in Romania. Both are political bellwethers and thus likely to predict electoral outcomes. Ciprian Ciucu comments on the acute conflict between President Traian Basescu …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat comments on last week’s protest letter (Cultural Observer, No. 63). Beyond the problems at the Institute of History and Literary Theory "G. Calinescu," Musat underlines the acute need for professionals in Romanian culture and politics. Politics In the face of rejection by the Russian Federation, Sabina Fati discusses Romania’s poor strategies for creating a Romania-Moldavia partnership in the EU. Ciprian …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat recalls Stefan Zeletin’s Din Tara magarilor. Insemnari (From the Asses’ Country. Notes,) from 1925, which holds a mirror to contemporary Romanian politics where combatants fight, kiss and make up. Politics Sabina Fati discusses Ziua’s (The Day’s) attack on Gabriel Liiceanu, who may be understood to represent Romanian intellectuals who stand for freedom of thought and expression. Ciprian Ciucu analyses …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Liviu Ornea discusses the incompatibility of many Romanian intellectuals’ political profiles with the political tendencies of their newspapers. Politics Sabina Fati discusses the problem of the Moldavians’ migration from the Republic of Moldavia (Basarabia) and their request for Romanian citizenship in the context of Romania’s recent entry into the EU. According to President Valdimir Voronin, Moldavians living in Romania are a …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat analyses the present political debates between President Traian Basescu and the parties in the opposition in light of Jose Antonio Marina’s Inteligenta esuata. Teoria si practica prostiei (Failed Intelligence: Theory and Practice of Stupidity). Musat concludes that “fear of the ‘monstrous coalition’ prepared by the parties in the opposition leads to a suspension of critical spirit and represents a perfect example …

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The Observer, in short

Politics and culture Special: Apropos of recent scandals, this week The Observer publishes a clip from by I.L.Caragiale’s “Politics and culture,

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Carmen Musat compares the political discourse in Le Nouvel Observateur (February 15, 2007) with Romanian polemics and finds that eighteen years after the fall of Communism calumny and character defamation remain the most common responses to opposing arguments.

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Marketing Problem

Urgent! I’m working on my spoken Romanian. There’s plenty to do, and the citizens of Bucharest have been trying to give me a helping hand. This includes everyone: salesladies, taxi drivers, doctors, dentists, friends, friends of friends, my sister-in-law and the guys who try to rip us off by pretending to be our garbage men. This is surprisingly generous since everyone speaks some …

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The Observer, in short

Lead article Ovidiu Simonca’s editorial discusses President Traian Basescu’s possible suspension together with the opposing Social Democratic Party’s plots and strategies. Concluding that the President has brought the present situation on himself, Simonca draws attention to President Basescu’s activities over the last few years. Politics Sabina Fati analyses a recent problem in Romanian agriculture: the movement of flocks, which will be modified according to …

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In memoriam: George Craciun died of cancer

Lead article The new Observer series celebrates its 100th issue this week. Preceded by a comment on the last issue of Lettre Internationale, which marked the magazine’s 15th anniversary, Ovidiu Simonca’s editorial discusses the basic conditions needed by a cultural review. In memoriam George Craciun died of cancer on January 30th 2007. A novelist and literary theorist, Craciun was a leader of the …

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The Observer 99, in short

Lead article Analyzing the recent political crisis detonated by the note that Prime-Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu sent to President Traian Basescu, Ovidiu Simonca points out that the President has developed an obsession against the Prime-Minister, which may be a sign of “helplessness and lack of fulfillment.

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