A spy in government

Published on 7 February 2012 at 13:52

"Operation Ungureanu" has begun, headlines Adevărul: on 7 February, the young (age 43) intelligence service chief, Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, is to take over as Prime Minister. A onetime professor of history and philosophy who graduated from Oxford University’sCentre for Jewish and Hebrew Studies and a former Romanian foreign minister, the close associate of head of state Traian Băsescu was "the predictable choice of a president who wants to avoid early general elections," explains the newspaper.

"However, the political horizon is on red alert," writes the daily, because his nomination “will not calm the population and put an end to the political crisis," which entered a new phase on 30 January, when the left-wing opposition announced a parliamentary strike, amid anti-austerity protests that have been ongoing fro three weeks.

“It is unacceptable that Romania once again be run by a man who has been directly brought in from the secret service,” insisted Crin Antonescu, president of the National Liberal Party (opposition), who is quoted by Jurnalul naţional. Like much of the Romanian press, the daily notes that the President’s decision will not change much but will mean “more of the same.” In the meantime, reports Jurnalul naţional, the demonstrators who have once again gathered in University Square are chanting “Băsescu nu e trist, a numit un securist!" [Băsescu isn’t sad, he’s appointed a Securitate agent].”

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