Breaking News: RO pe prima pagina a FT!!!

Brussels set to allow Romania into the EU
By George Parker in Bucharest
Published: April 6 2006 22:29 | Last updated: April 6 2006 22:29

EU conventionRomania was shown an open door on Thursday to join the European Union in January 2007 after Olli Rehn, the EU’s enlargement commissioner, praised the country’s judicial reforms and its crackdown on corruption.

Although Mr Rehn said Romania was “not there yet”, he said that Bucharest had taken big strides towards meeting European concerns about its legal system.

Mr Rehn was speaking on his final fact-finding trip to Romania, ahead of presenting a report on May 16 on whether the Black Sea state can join the Union on January 1 next year.

“It’s already clear today that Romania has made considerable progress over the past year,” he said, after meeting Calin Popescu Tariceanu, prime minister.

However, the commissioner was much more critical of reforms in another EU candidate country – Bulgaria – which he accused of “losing time” in carrying out required judicial reforms.

Mr Rehn must recommend on May 16 whether either country should be made to wait a year before joining, to allow them to carry out further reforms.

Such a delay would be humiliating for Bucharest or Sofia. But Mr Rehn is under pressure from some European states to slow the pace of EU expansion in response to “enlargement fatigue”.

Enlargement ‘wobble’ may mean EU barring some

Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Rehn said he wanted “concrete results” from Romania to confirm its entry into the Union, including proof that judicial reforms were “irreversible”.

“Romania has to ensure it has a credible track record in tackling corruption and organised crime, and that will be the focus of our remaining examinations,” he said.

However, he said Bucharest had taken seriously warnings on the issue last year and already had a limited track record in bringing prosecutions. He also praised Romania’s efforts to secure its external borders.

In the case of Bulgaria, he said the country had slipped in its reforms in late 2004 and the first part of 2005, and that Brussels was working with Sofia to improve its constitutional law.

However, there is little appetite within the European Commission for making either country wait a year. “What would be gained?” asked one senior official in Brussels. “What leverage would we have then?”

Although Romania and Bulgaria are guaranteed EU membership and Croatia is likely to become the Union’s 28th member within the next five years, the prospect for future enlargements is becoming less clear.

Wolfgang Schüssel, Austria’s chancellor who holds the rotating EU presidency, said that some western European countries had a “psychological” problem with extending the Union.

Peter Mandelson, EU trade commissioner yesterday urged countries in south-east Europe to develop a free trade area to prepare for EU membership, and insisted that Turkey, and even Ukraine, should look forward to joining the 25-member club.

Lustratie

In ultimele saptamani, foarte multa lume gaseste blogul asta cautand in google.ro dupa 'lustratie'. Sunt mai multe postari pe tema asta care ar putea fi instructive. Foarte mult insa s'a discutat despre asta pe forumul de la Cotidianul in vara anului trecut ( http://forum.cotidianul.ro )

Siteul www.memoria.ro poate fi foarte util celor care vor sa afle si sa inteleaga mai multe despre lupta anticomunista dusa de oameni care merita toata aprecierea noastra.

Dan vs. Radu

Cate ceva despre incredibila succesiune pe tronul Valahiei a lui Dan al Doilea si Radu al Doilea, zis Chelu':

Dan II was a ruler of the principality of Wallachia in the 15th Century, ruling an extraordinary 5 times, and succeeded 4 times by Radu II Chelul, his rival for the throne. Of those 5 periods on the throne of Wallachia 1420 to 1421, 1421 to 1423, 1423 to 1424, 1426 to 1427, and 1427 and 1431), 4 were within a period of only 7 years.

Radu II Chelul (Radu II the Bald) was a ruler of the principality of Wallachia in the 15th Century, ruling for 4 terms, each time preceded by Dan II, his rival for the throne, and each time succeeded by him. Of those 4 periods on the throne of Wallachia, all were within a period of only 7 years, and 3 terms lasted less than a year. He ruled:

August 1420 - 1422
summer of 1423
autumn of 1424
January - spring of 1427
Son of Mircea cel Batran, he is probably the last voievod of Wallachia to assert control of Banat, southern Basarabia and Dobrogea. His short intervals of rulership are marked by frequent and violent clashes with his rival, and at the same time cousin, Dan II, for the throne of the principality. He finds shelter and military suppost from the Ottoman Empire, and it is this submission to the Ottomans which ultimately caused Wallachia to the lose Dobrogea and other territories. Radu II is last mentioned in the spring of 1427, when Dan II attacks him from Transylvania, retakes the throne, and most probably kills him.

His nickname, as appears in slavonic writings (Prasnaglava) could also be translated as "empty-headed". He is considered an obscure ruler, which voluntarely placed Wallachia under Ottoman suzerainty.

Orasul de Floci

Potrivit informaţiilor documentare şi izvoarelor cartografice, Oraşul de Floci, centru urban medieval, azi dispărut, se afla situat la limita sud-estică a Ţării Româneşti, pe malul stâng al râului Ialomiţa, la confluenţa cu Dunărea. Prima atestare documentară a vămii o găsim în cunoscuta poruncă adresată de domnitorul Dan al II-lea, în 1431, tuturor târgurilor şi vămilor ţării, între care era menţionat şi Oraşul de Floci. Acţiunea armată şi incendierea oraşului de către domnitorul Moldovei, Ştefan cel Mare, cu scopul de a-l îndepărta din domnie pe Radu cel Frumos, devotat sultanului Mahomed al II-lea, a fost motivată prin politica de ridicare a târgurilor din Moldova, prin distrugerea concurenţei târgurilor muntene. Oraşul s-a refăcut relativ repede şi viaţa comerciala şi-a reluat cursul firesc.

Din a doua jumătate a secolului al XVI-lea, transformarea Brăilei în kaza ar fi putut favoriza ascensiunea economică a Oraşului de Floci, dar incursiunile de pradă şi jafurile turcilor din Brăila şi Hârşova au avut un rol preponderent în frânarea acestui proces. După incendierea aşezării, oraşul se va reface greu, mai ales după uciderea lui Mihai Viteazul, când unul din pretendenţii la domnie, Simion Movilă, aducea cu el trupe de poloni şi tătari care au prădat oraşul. În primele decenii ale secolului al XVIII-lea puterea de refacere economică a fost frecvent stânjenită de incursiunile de jaf ale turcilor din Brăila şi Hârşova, în pofida măsurilor luate de domnitori de a întări hotarele ţării. Locuitorii ameninţaţi de nesiguranţa vremurilor se vor risipi în sate sau în alte oraşe mai puternice, mai depărtate de zona operaţiunilor militare ale războiului ruso-turc din anii 1769-1774, desfăşurat pe linia Dunării.