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The article examines Romania's judicial system, which may prove key obstacle to Romania's European Union (EU) entry. Now that Romania has won recognition from the European Commission as a functioning market economy, its legal system is the biggest threat to its hopes of joining the EU in 2007. Its courts are short of judges, its judges short of training. Some laws are out of date, others are new and untested. Lack of judicial independence is made worse by a political system riddled with cronyism and corruption. Romania's justice minister, Cristian Diaconescu, claims that his government is equal to the task. Specialised commercial courts are being set up; family courts will follow. The EU has also voiced concerns about the judicial system in Bulgaria, the other candidate for membership in 2007. I.

The article examines a populist resurgence in central Europe. Foreign governments have pressed Lithuania to clean house before it joined NATO last week and the European Union (EU) in May. Rolandas Paksas, the scandal-swamped president of Lithuania, was dismissed by a parliamentary vote after 15 months in office. A rising protest vote in Poland has turned a small-farmers' movement, Samoobrona, into a leading political party. An unreformed Communist Party is gaining ground in the Czech Republic. In Romania, which hopes to join the EU in 2007, the xenophobic Greater Romania Party enjoys not only popularity but respectability. Even Slovenia, the richest of this year's EU entrants, voted overwhelmingly in a referendum on April 4th against restoring civic rights to members of ethnic minorities denied citizenship without cause after independence in 1991.

If the ten countries due to join the European Union in May 2004 thought it was all over when they signed their accession treaties last April, they have been rudely awakened. On November 5th the European Commission issued a sharp reminder that they cannot afford to relax, when it issued a new series of reports consisting of long "to do" lists--and pointing out that countries could lose cash and even market access if they do not shape up. Three further candidates were also told what they need to do to join. Bulgaria and Romania were both criticised for corruption and failure to implement administrative reforms. Romania was told that it was still not a "functioning market economy". And Turkey, which has yet to receive the go-ahead even to begin negotiations, was dismayed that the commission linked its membership to a settlement of the Cyprus dispute. Among the ten new members, Poland, by far the biggest, also got the most black marks. The Polish government and parliament have both sworn to strike out provisions in the draft EU constitution that would dilute Poland's voting weight in the Council of Ministers.

The government of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has brought Bulgaria closer to joining the European Union in 2007, an ambition it shares with neighbouring Romania. Last year the European Commission declared Bulgaria to be a "functioning market economy", a precondition for entry. It has yet to give Romania the same status, and may not do so when it publishes its annual progress reports on the candidate countries next week. Romania and Bulgaria are anxious to receive good opinions, as a signal that they are on course to complete their entry negotiations next year, and to join the EU in 2007. Although Bulgaria has been dragging its feet over some reforms, the commission is likely to reserve its most serious criticisms for Romania. Last year's progress report found shortcomings in the judicial system and the public administration that Romania has done little to correct. The recent resignation of three ministers has probably done more to highlight than to eradicate the corruption and nepotism that are almost universal in the country's public sector. But any pleasure Bulgaria takes in doing better than its neighbour will be offset by worry that slower progress in Romania could hold both countries back. EU governments, struggling to accommodate ten new countries next year, may grasp at any reason to postpone the next round of enlargement, perhaps until 2010.

Focuses on the impact of free markets and business on poverty in Romania. Outlook for economic growth and a reduction in inflation; Outlook for Romania to join the European Union (EU); Problems of corruption and poor infrastructure in the country; Question of whether politicians will be able to reverse the problem of poverty in the country.

Focuses on adoptions in Romania, after the country halted foreign adoptions in 2001. Claim by U.S. adoption agencies that this decision deprives needy orphans of a good home abroad, in light of the poverty of state-run orphanages in Romania, that were exposed in the 1990s; Impact that the state of Romanian orphanages could have on the nation's hopes to join the European Union.

Reports on a status law in Hungary that offers a belated homecoming to several million ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries, which resulted because of the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. Details on the legislation, which extends benefits to people of Hungarian descent, ranging from stipends for schooling and subsidized travel; Criticism of the laws by neighboring nations, including Romania, claiming it violates their sovereignty and discriminates against non-ethnic Hungarians.

Focuses on the government of Prime Minister Adrian Nastase in Romania. Discussion of the success of his Social Democratic government and economic policy; Public approval for Nastase and his popularity that has weakened the opposition Greater Romania Party; Outlook for the country's membership in the European Union; Topic of privatization.

Discusses political and social conditions in Romania, and the view that Romania may have the political means to combat poverty. View that poor political leadership, including the leadership of Nicolae Ceausescu, has held the country back; Discussion of the election and leadership of Ion Iliescu; Discussion of capitalism in the country; Mention of the power of the prime minister, Adrian Nastase.

Discusses the presidential candidates in Romania's election as of December 11, 2000. How Corneliu Vadim Tudor of the Greater Romania Party came in second for Romania's presidential election which forced a run-off between himself and Ion Iliescu; Thought that Romania is an example of a fledgling democracy which has a potential for disaster; Discussion of other countries trying to execute democratic reform.

The article reports on the prediction that the Party of Social Democracy in Romania candidate Ion Iliescu will win the presidential election scheduled on November 26, 2000. Political analysts believe that the country will slow down the pace of political reform, put in place by the technocrat prime minister Mugur Isarescu, in case of a communist-leaning government being elected. There is widespread speculation that whichever party comes to power, there is cross-party consensus that European Union accession should be accelerated. An all-party declaration was signed in March expressing commitment to reform.

Reports on the political conditions in Romania as of mid-2000. Public frustration with the ruling government; Possibility that the formerly-ruling Party of Social Democracy and its leader Ion Iliescu will be elected into power; Hopes to enter the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Outlook for the country.

Presents information on Romanian government reaction to the miners' march on Bucharest, the capital, in February of 1999. Comments from Interior Minister Constantin Dudu Ionescu; Political motivations for the march; Support for the miners from nationalist Greater Romania Party led by Vadim Tudor; Political timing of the march; Support among Romania's police and army officers; Actions of the police during the march.

The article focuses on the stabilization of the Romanian political system and discusses how it has impacted the legal sector within the country in 2013. Topics include the Romanian government's privatization program, government corruption, and improvements made to the court system in the country. Information is provided on the reforms made to the civil procedure code.

Reports on the new appointments made by Romanian prime minister Petre Roman. Westernized ministers who, like Roman, are educated technocrats; Exceptions to the rule are Andrei Plesu and General Victor Stanculescu; New appointments are the sons of communist privilege; Problem of how to transform Romania without alienating those who voted for it and who will be asked to do so again in two years' time.

Reports on actions taken by the government of Romania in 1997 to support a bid to become a member of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). The efforts of President Emil Constantinescu and Prime Minister Viktor Ciorbea; The likelihood of Romania gaining EU membership; Economic challenges facing Romania; Resistance to Ciorbea's actions from within Romania.

This article reports on a plan by the Romanian government to form a ministry for privatization, as of December 1997. The current system divides responsibility between different agencies--the State Ownership Fund, the National Agency for Privatization and the ministry for restructuring. Speculation in the local media suggested Sorin Dimitriu, current head of the ownership fund, might be head of the new body. Florin Dolea, investment manager at the East Fund Management of Bucharest, said the unified structure should provide a way of avoiding conflicts between the different agencies on ideas and methods of privatization. But he admits that adapting to the new system might slow down the current pace of privatization and create a bureaucratic bottleneck for deals already underway until the engines are at full speed.

The article focuses on the economic conditions within Romania in 2014. Topics include the development of the energy industry in the country, the Romanian government's investment in renewable energy projects, and the development of agribusiness in the country. Information is provided on the economic and political stability of Romania since its entry into the European Union (EU) in January of 2014.

The article discusses the nation of Romania as of July 2014, focusing on foreign investments in Romania, the country's elections, and Romania's alleged gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in 2013. According to the article, the country regained its Standard & Poor's (S&P) investment grade credit rating in May 2014. A comparison is provided regarding the corporate taxation rates in countries such as Romania, Italy, and Germany. Agribusiness-related growth and political issues are examined.

The article focuses on economic conditions in Romania in 2012 and how it has been impacted by the global economic crisis. Topics include the austerity measures enacted within Romania, the country's acceptance of a rescue package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU) in 2009, and the 2012 governmental elections.

The article reports that Gabriel Resources Ltd. is looking forward that the new government in Romania will enable them to benefit from the Rosia Montana. According to the company, it has a quarterly loss of $2.8 million because it is subjected to political problems and regulations. ON the other hand, the company is developing a financial plan.