From: Lucian Mogosanu Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2013 09:45:15 +0000 (+0200) Subject: posts: 014 X-Git-Tag: v0.3~6 X-Git-Url: https://git.mogosanu.ro/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=761d3bf64ca69653eaf0fc2b6d908fed1bb69971;p=thetarpit.git posts: 014 --- diff --git a/posts/y00/014-romania-at-the-end-of-2013.markdown b/posts/y00/014-romania-at-the-end-of-2013.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..68d13f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/y00/014-romania-at-the-end-of-2013.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,179 @@ +--- +postid: 014 +title: Romania at the end of 2013: an exercise in geopolitics +author: Lucian Mogoșanu +excerpt: A piece of synthetic journalism. +date: December 8, 2013 +tags: asphalt +--- + +**November 14, 2013** -- [EU to offer a perspective to Moldova][1]: + +> [...] +> +> "Our government, like most of the people, has chosen the way of civilization +> and European integration," Corman told an audience in Berlin. "We're on the +> right path; we've introduced many reforms, especially in the fight against +> corruption and in the justice system. We are not a risk for the EU." + +**November 27, 2013** -- [Ukraine signs oil, gas deal with Eni and EDF, sees $4 billion investment][2] + +**November 28, 2013** -- [Romania to Seek Reunification with Moldova][3]: + +> Romanian President Traian Basescu has revealed that his country is to seek a +> reunification with neighboring Moldova. +> +> "I am convinced that if "unionist winds" start to blow in Moldova, Romania +> will always be ready for that. Accession to NATO was once a fundamental +> project for Romania. There was also another one - accession to the EU. I +> think that the third fundamental project should become our unification with +> Moldova. There can be no doubt about that," Basescu told Romania's TVR-1, as +> cited by Interfax. + +**November 29, 2013** -- [Ukraine Faces E.U.’s Dismay on Turnabout on Accords][4]: + +> [...] +> +> Ms. Merkel, holding a glass of white wine, stood in front of Mr. Yanukovich, +> a beefy man who is at least a head taller. “We see you here,” said Ms. +> Merkel, nodding her head and giving a disapproving shrug. “But we expected +> more.” Next to her, Ms. Grybauskaite nodded in assent. Mr. Yanukovich had +> nowhere to turn. +> +> [...] + +**December 1, 2013** -- [Romania's National Day][5] + +**December 2, 2013** -- [Chevron resumes east Romanian shale gas search][6]: + +> U.S. oil major Chevron has resumed its search for shale gas in eastern +> Romania, it said on Monday, despite opposition from local residents. +> +> In October the company won approval to drill exploratory wells in the small +> town of Pungesti in the impoverished eastern county of Vaslui but had to halt +> works soon after as local residents blocked access to the site. + +**December 2, 2013** -- [Frum: Beware Russia's power play in Ukraine][7]: + +> [...] +> +> Since Putin's entry into power, Russia minus Ukraine has sought to influence +> and corrupt the democracies of Europe. A Russia that reintegrated Ukraine +> would possess the power -- like the Soviet Union of old -- to intimidate and +> bully democratic Europe. Russia minus Ukraine can aspire to become a normal +> nation state, a democracy, even a liberal democracy. A Russia that holds +> Ukraine by force must forever be a militarized authoritarian regime, a menace +> to its own people as much as to the rest of the European continent and the +> democratic world. +> +> [...] +> +> Don't be fooled by the muted words, however. What's at stake in the streets +> of Kiev is the future of the European continent -- and American prosperity +> and security. An inward-looking America is averting its attention from its +> own most important interests and highest ideals. + +**December 4, 2013** -- [The battle over Ukraine: Towards a new geopolitical game][8]: + +> This is quite a turnaround in German policies towards Russia. It is the first +> time Merkel has spoken to Moscow with the assertive attitude of the leader of +> a great power. And she was doing what great powers usually do: pushing back +> other great powers and offering protection to smaller powers. +> +> In other words, Merkel took a first step towards a geopolitical competition +> with Russia over Eastern Europe -- effectively ending years of cozy bilateral +> relations with Moscow. +> +> Merkel has picked up the gauntlet thrown by Putin at her and the EU. But it +> is still unclear to what extent she will follow-up her rhetoric and push the +> EU towards making more substantial offers to Ukraine -- especially after the +> hopes of signing an agreement at the Vilnius summit have been disappointed. +> +> But she has shown a Germany that no longer afraid to confront Russia over +> Eastern Europe. This is starting to look like an entirely new game. + +**December 5, 2013** -- [Moldovans now officially speak Romanian][9]: + +> The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday the country's official language +> should be changed to "Romanian" from "Moldovan." +> +> [...] +> +> Moldova's remaining Communists opposed the change. +> +> In neighboring Romania, officials welcomed the decision. President Traian +> Basescu called it "an act of justice." + +**December 6, 2013** -- [How Natural Gas Has Helped Fuel Ukraine’s Violent Unrest][10] + +**December 6, 2013** -- [Russia and Ukraine leaders seek partnership treaty][11] + +**December 6, 2013** -- [IMF to Likely Postpone Romania Meeting][12]: + +> The International Monetary Fund's executive board will likely postpone until +> March a meeting to discuss Romania's progress under a 2-billion-euro ($2.74 +> billion) loan program, after the Romanian president refused to endorse some +> of the measures included in the latest policy package, news agency Mediafax +> reported. +> +> [...] +> +> "We are aware of President Traian Basescu's disagreement with the government +> over the specific measures. The IMF staff is monitoring developments and is +> awaiting a decision by the authorities on whether they wish to modify the +> policies needed to secure the agreed deficit target, before submitting the +> policy package to the Fund's Executive Board," the IMF said Tuesday. + +**December 7, 2013** -- [Ukraine Opposition: No Talks Unless Govt Fired][13]: + +> Ukraine's opposition, preparing for what it hopes will be a gigantic protest +> rally on Sunday, says it will negotiate with President Viktor Yanukovych only +> if he fires the government and appoints a new one committed to deepening +> European integration. +> +> [...] +> +> Russia wants Ukraine to join a customs union also including Belarus and +> Kazakhstan that would be a counterweight to the EU and put pressure on +> Yanukovych to shelve the EU agreement. +> +> Yatsenyuk called the customs union "a new version of the Soviet Union." +> +> Distress over the customs was high after Yanukovych and Russian President +> Vladimir Putin met on Friday. The leaders' offices on Saturday said the +> presidents didn't discuss the customs union, but suspicions persisted. +> +> "It was clear that (Yanukovych's) way to the European Union was blocked from +> the start," Yatsenyuk said. "It was a big auction — who is to buy Ukraine." + +**December 7, 2013** -- [Chevron halts Romania shale work after protest][14]: + +> On Saturday, about 300 riot police were deployed in Pungesti, 340 km (210 +> miles) northeast of capital Bucharest, to try to prevent an equal number of +> protesters, mostly local residents, from entering the Chevron site. Some +> broke through into the site, however. +> +> The activists chanted "Stop Chevron" and held banners saying "No drilling +> allowed here". Dozens were detained by police. +> +> Chevron said some equipment had been damaged on the site. "Chevron can today +> confirm it has suspended activities ... as a result of unsafe conditions +> generated by unlawful and violent protester activities," it said in a +> statement emailed to Reuters. + +Comments are useful. They will be left as an exercise for the reader. + +[1]: http://www.dw.de/eu-to-offer-a-perspective-to-moldova/a-17227049 +[2]: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/27/us-ukraine-energy-deal-idUSBRE9AQ0JX20131127 +[3]: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=155964 +[4]: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/30/world/europe/european-union-grapples-with-disappointment-over-ukraine.html?_r=0 +[5]: http://actmedia.eu/daily/december-1-romania-s-national-day/49458 +[6]: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/02/romania-shale-chevron-idUSL5N0JH18820131202 +[7]: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/02/opinion/frum-ukraine-russia/ +[8]: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/04/opinion/ukraine-protests-eu-speck/ +[9]: http://www.stltoday.com/news/world/moldovans-now-officially-speak-romanian/article_57c1ee0c-b1f9-51e3-aad3-601661bc27ff.html +[10]: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/06/3017421/russia-ukraine-natural-gas/ +[11]: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25267130 +[12]: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303997604579242981998461384 +[13]: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/putin-spokesman-customs-union-discussed-21133453 +[14]: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/07/romania-shale-chevron-idUSL5N0JM07D20131207