The Economist

Although I read each weekly issue from local business magazine ("Money Express", "Business Magazin", and "Business Week"), from time to time I read "The Economist" or other foreign economics magazines.

In this week's issue, an unpleasant - but true and expected - surprise from "The Economist". Under the headline "Corruption in Romania - In denial", they run a story accusing both EU and Romania - The European Union conceals Romania's backsliding on corruption.

EU is accused in regards with last European Commission's report from February, which was a lot softer. Romania's authorities are being accused of "wilfully failing to co-operate".

The former prime-minister Adrian Nastase case is mentioned - "charged with several counts of corruption and bribery. He has now been exonerated by the parliamentary committee on legal affairs."

"In retrospect, the EU relied too much on individual politicians to back Romania’s anti-corruption drive, notably Monica Macovei, a much-admired justice minister. She was fired soon after Romania joined the EU in January 2007."

Some of the comments from The Economist website are quite interesting ...