This article is written by Dragos C. Costache and Maria Zirra When Romania acceded to the EU in 2007, there was a wave of public euphoria. The country was already riding a major economic boom and there was an overwhelming sense of national pride that united the fragmented Romanian public […]

Should you ever end up on the operating table in Romania, one of the last thoughts that might go through your mind before passing out is: “Did I pay the doctor enough?” Photo: The U.S. National Archives For a long time, as a child, I was convinced my grandmother was […]

With scary news about the “financial crisis shaking the world!” making the headlines every second day, you can easily end up blaming the godawful traders for every single bit of wrong-doing. Or Greece. As time goes by, I more and more have the impression that everyone around is turning into […]

Will 2013 bring an economic drought?  U.S. National Archives via Flickr.com Once upon a time, there was wealth. If we were to portray it, it would be a handsome hunk with long blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, riding carefree, roaming anywhere, spreading his beauty and joyfulness all around. Hey, wait! […]

Once upon a time there were diplomas. They used to certify what a young person was good at, and many employers hired people on the sole strength of that piece of paper. But there was never any actual proof of what young graduates could really do. If the university gave […]