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Why the Intelligentsia’s Drift to the Left Ends in a Shipwreck
No. 58, Mar.-Apr. 2026 I am referring to the intellectuals who made their political début as more or less notorious dissidents before the Romanian Revolution and were fully acclaimed as such during the ’90s and early 2000s. Many became flagbearers of the “anti-corruption battle” in the recent years, alongside with their disciples. When asked for their stance, they all declare themselves “rightists” or at least reject the “leftist” political option, after the criminal experiment of the Communist totalitarianism. More
The Economic Consequences of the War in the Middle East
No. 58, Mar.-Apr. 2026 The war in the Middle East has already had a strong impact on energy prices, particularly those of oil and natural gas. It is therefore reasonable to expect that inflationary pressures will intensify in the period ahead. Beyond these inflationary effects, however, everything ultimately depends on how the conflict evolves – and on that point the greatest uncertainty prevails. More
Romania Leads Europe: Pensions Cover Costs Better Than Anywhere Else
No. 58, Mar.-Apr. 2026 Romania stands first among a group of only four EU countries where pensions exceed spending, according to a German study published on datapulse.de. With a positive ratio of 21%, Romania surpassed Czechia (+18%), Poland (+4%), and Spain (+3%). In context, two other countries are close to breaking even (Bulgaria, with -2%, and Denmark, with -7%), while all the rest are beyond the -10% threshold. More
From a World of Wars to a War of the Worlds
No. 58, Mar.-Apr. 2026 The decades following the 2nd World War witnessed different armed conflicts scattered around the globe, varying in magnitude and consequences on the geopolitical stage. To name a few: the war in Korea, Indo-Pakistan war, the Vietnam War, Israel and war with the United Arab Republic, the Algerian war of Independence, the Cyprus division, the Falkland conflict, Iran vs. Iraq and so on. When we consider the term war in its broad meaning, we refer to an open armed conflict between two or more countries or a serious civil war that engulfs a country or large part of it, not guerilla fighting at low intensity in various provinces or separatist movements like ETA or IRA. It is true that the spatial distribution was not homogenous in mathematical terms, but it had nevertheless a wide dispersion. Moreover, another fundamental distinction must be made. From the point of compulsory conflict there are wars of necessity and wars of choice. The first one is clear; it is an action that must be taken in order to defend against or something. Can be taken pre-event (preemptive strike) or post-event (retaliation). It is easier to explain and to legitimize. On the other hand, war of choice is a bit harder to categorize and to legitimize. It can have multiple triggers, some real, some covering other interests. More
Security and Black Sea Strategy: Romania at the Crossroads of NATO and Regional Stability
No. 58, Mar.-Apr. 2026 Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has recast the Black Sea from a perceived strategic periphery into one of the most contested maritime and hybrid theatres in the Euro-Atlantic space. In this environment, Romania has shifted from the margins of European security debates to a pivotal position within NATO’s eastern-flank posture. This article examines Romania’s evolving defence and deterrence architecture, NATO’s recalibrated force posture, and the regional security complex shaped by Russia’s militarisation of Crimea, Ukraine’s constrained maritime access, Moldova’s structural fragility, and Turkey’s balancing behaviour. It situates Romania’s Black Sea strategy at the intersection of military, energy, and hybrid-security dynamics, drawing on NATO strategic documents, national defence planning materials, cyber-security reporting, and Eurobarometer survey data. The central argument is that Romania’s long-term stability depends on a coherent Black Sea strategy anchored in credible deterrence, resilient institutions, and proactive regional leadership that integrates security, energy, and governance agendas rather than treating them as discrete policy silos. The article’s policy contribution is to argue that Romania should prioritise a sequenced agenda that links naval modernisation, hybrid-resilience measures, and energy-security investments within a single Black Sea framework, enabling a shift from a reactive frontline posture to a more strategic regional role. Unlike most existing Black Sea security studies, it advances an integrated, Romania-centred perspective that connects defence posture, offshore infrastructure, and institutional capacity. More
Between Futures and Fields: Ideas in Motion at ICBE 2026
No. 58, Mar.-Apr. 2026 For several years now, the International Conference on Business Excellence has become more than a platform for presenting research – it is increasingly a space where disciplines intersect and where emerging ideas are tested against real-world complexity. The recent 2026 edition, hosted in Bucharest between March 26 and 28, reaffirmed this role by bringing together scholars exploring the evolving relationships between business, society, technology, and governance. More
The Epiphany of a Multipolar World at Davos
No. 57, Jan.-Feb. 2026 The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos has, over the past decades, cultivated a reputation as the premier gathering of the global elite, as an event where one must be present and visible to count among them and to remain attuned to the great trends shaping the world. Alongside the annual meeting, the Forum has also become a prolific producer of influential reports and research, such as the Global Risks Report, which have become essential reading for decision-makers across the globe. More
When the Social and the Political Suffocate the Economy
No. 57, Jan.-Feb. 2026 The first thing we must understand is that the economy does not exist in isolation. It exists only in relation to society and, at the same time, is inevitably shaped by politics. Put differently, it is the social sphere that confers or withholds the mark of relevance upon economic activity. The economy’s mission is to provide the conditions for a good life. Its role is instrumental, never an end in itself. More
Europe’s Existential Audit: The Draghi and Letta Reports as a Blueprint for Structural Reinvention
No. 57, Jan.-Feb. 2026 In 2024, two landmark reports – Mario Draghi’s “The Future of European Competitiveness” and Enrico Letta’s “Much More Than a Market”- delivered the most comprehensive diagnosis of the European Union’s structural deficiencies since the Delors Report of 1989. Read together, they constitute an existential warning: without deep reform of its innovation ecosystem, single market architecture, and investment capacity, Europe risks permanent relegation to the periphery of global economic power. More
France’s Ruthless Reinvention: Mid-Tournament Mastery and Agile Management Lessons
No. 57, Jan.-Feb. 2026 I’m penning these lines smack in the middle of the 2026 Six Nations, after the first three rounds, and I’ll say it without hesitation: France will clinch the title detached, for the second year running and the twentieth time in history. Raising the stakes? They’ll achieve the Grand Slam. And bolder still: France will sweep the Six Nations with a Grand Slam and maximum points: 25. There are two more rounds to play at the moment of writing, but miracle would it be if this didn’t happen. More
Bucharest – A Guide to Streets with “Healthy” Proletarian Origins
No. 57, Jan.-Feb. 2026 What do street names have to do with the way Romanians understand capitalism today? More than one might expect. Long before textbooks, statistics, or political slogans, streets were the first public lesson in how an economy works. They recorded who built, who traded, who took risks, who invested, who created value. More
Bulgaria Adopted the Euro, Romania Needs It Too
No. 57, Jan.-Feb. 2026 Like other EU countries, Romania committed to adopting the single European currency. At the time of accession to the EU (2007), no precise date was set for this. In the years before and immediately following, however, there were projections and indicative deadlines circulated by the authorities. The initial deadline, presented as an unofficial objective, was the period 2012-2014. Subsequently, the authorities repeatedly postponed this deadline: 2015, 2019, 2024-2026, and now, it seems, sine die. This delay shows that the adoption of the euro was never taken seriously by the Romanian authorities. More
