Free Essay

The Romanian Revolution

In:

Submitted By raybands
Words 1915
Pages 8
The December 1989 revolution in Romania has been the subject of scholarly discussions, passionate debates, conspiracy theories, and political struggles. In 2004, for instance, an Institute for the study of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 (IRRD) was founded in Bucharest, headed by then President Ion Iliescu whose term in office was soon to expire. The Institute’s publications have resisted a plurality of interpretations about the revolution as well as the blind peer-review process.

Some analysts of the 1989 “events” question whether these constituted a proper revolution since many people who rose to power after Ceauşescu’s fall were not new faces but had been high-ranking communists. The handful of dissident revolutionaries, such as the poets Mircea Dinescu and Ana Blandiana, Reformed pastor Lászlo Tőkés, and professor Doina Cornea, quickly grew suspicious of the National Salvation Front (NSF), resigned their positions in it, and accused the Front of betraying the popular revolution. Some analysts and critics of the NSF claim that the NSF staged a civil war, in which people were shot at and died, in the days after December 22 in order to justify the summary execution of the first couple on December 25, and to permit the new political leaders to appear as true saviors of the nation after a heroic armed struggle. Others have claimed that the KGB, or the CIA, or both were involved in the change of regime in 1989.

Debates have also revolved around responsibility for the violence in December 1989, and around the identity of the “terrorists” who shot at civilians in Bucharest and elsewhere. Andrew Hall, a CIA analyst, has argued that the Special Unit for Anti-terrorist Warfare (USLA) of the Securitate (Romania’s security police) used dum-dum bullets, which explode inside the target and can shatter organs, skulls, and bones, causing great damage. This type of ammunition was outlawed by the Geneva Convention. He also believes that the USLA troops were the terrorists rumored in late December 1989 to be defending the Ceauşescu regime and sniping at unarmed civilians.

Political scientists and other writers have pondered the reasons for and the timing of the upheaval. During the last decade of communist rule, the Romanian population experienced rising levels of poverty as the regime rushed to repay its foreign debts so as to become impermeable to pressures in the area of human rights from its trading partners, as well as to mask the failures of the regime’s economic policies behind the achievement of financial independence. Drastic food and energy shortages were coupled with grandiose construction schemes, pervasive surveillance, and an extravagant cult of personality focused on Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife, Elena. Both politically and economically Romanians were worse off than most other Soviet bloc countries.

The Ceauşescu dictatorship also evinced hostility to Mikhail Gorbachev’s democratizing policies of glasnost and perestroika, although it also tried to bring the USSR to the side of stemming the tide of reform. Since Soviet troops had withdrawn from Romania in 1958, Gorbachev had less leverage here than in other bloc countries where Soviet military bases still existed. Gorbachev warned entrenched communist leaders throughout Europe that Soviet troops would not support them against popular insurgencies.

Gorbachev’s liberal policies had emboldened democratic movements in the USSR and bloc countries, and he had persuaded some communist leaders to negotiate with their oppositions. In Romania, however, open opposition to the regime was almost non-existent. Previous instances of resistance had been crushed easily, leading Ceauşescu to presume the regime’s invincibility, despite the wave of anti-communist revolutions rolling through the Soviet bloc. The Romanian dictatorship was thus bent on using violence to attempt to hold on to power at any price: the army, police and Securitate forces brutally shot at unarmed demonstrators. However, the represssion met with unexpected resistance. The violent struggle in turn shaped the new government that emerged in its wake.

The Romanian revolution began in Timişoara, located in western Timiş County and in the former Habsburg province of Banat, close to the Yugoslav and Hungarian borders. Although postwar Romania is ethnically quite homogeneous, most of its minorities live in Banat and Transylvania. Since the 1970s, the regime had built a modicum of popularity by manipulating ethnic nationalism. Jews, Germans and Hungarians were allowed to emigrate as the government strove for national homogeneity. On the eve of the 1989 revolution Hungarians were the second largest group in Timişoara after Romanians, followed by Germans and Serbs. The city’s residents could follow the freer Yugoslav and Hungarian broadcast media and they were more easily swept up in the mounting wave of revolutions. As countries all over Eastern Europe confronted uprisings in 1989, the power of information and example cannot be discounted in the story of the Romanian revolution.

One of Romania’s few dissidents, Lászlo Tőkés, a pastor in the Hungarian Reformed (Calvinist) Church, used his Timişoara pulpit to condemn the regime’s “systematization” campaign designed to level thousands of villages, put the land into cultivation, and move villagers into new agro-industrial complexes. For his outspokenness Tőkés was to be evicted from his church in December 1989, but Hungarian parishioners surrounded the church to prevent his removal. Soon joined by ethnic Romanians (of traditionally Orthodox faith), the picketers grew in number and broadened their focus to the hated dictatorial regime. The extended vigil, which began on December 15, engendered a sense of popular power and solidarity, unprecedented in communist Romania. Hungarians and Romanians together sang the 19th century nationalist anthem “Awaken, thee Romanian!” meaning, in this context, citizens of Romania. Given the xenophobia of communist officials, they had failed to imagine the possibility of inter-ethnic solidarity. The song was heard often during the following weeks.

Soon all of Timişoara was on strike, while protesters tried to outwit tanks and armored vehicles. A frequent slogan during these street scenes was “Without Violence!” Between December 16 and 19 over sixty people were killed in Timişoara, and more than 700 were arrested, but the insurgents stood their ground. Some corpses were lugubriously transported to Bucharest to suppress evidence of the crime. This in turn fed rumors of wildly exaggerated numbers of dead. Another chant, “Azi în Timişoara, mîine-n toată ţara!” (Today in Timişoara, tomorrow in the whole country)” was prophetic.

Ceauşescu portrayed the disturbance in Western Romania as the work of foreign agents, but he also attempted to minimize the crisis by flying to Iran on a state visit. On his return, in televised speeches on December 20 and 21, he called for national unity in defending Romania’s sovereignty against foreign foes. By then, however, the popular anti-government mobilization had spread beyond Timişoara. In Bucharest, the authorities organized a noontime rally on December 21. Thousands of people were bussed to the Communist Party Central Committee (CPCC) plaza to show their support and thus legitimize the harsh repression in Timişoara. The event was choreographed by the Securitate and the capital’s communist organizations. On descending into the square, presumably docile demonstrators received banners and portraits with familiar propaganda slogans and the Ceauşescus’ portraits.

The rally was broadcast on national television, but when Ceauşescu addressed the crowd from the CPCC balcony, unscripted moments followed. An unprecedented commotion, heckling, and hissing began. Radio and TV feeds were cut as cameras panned to the sky, but not before images of the distressed Ceauşescu and his wife trying to shush down the crowd were captured on camera. The dictator appeared shaken, unable to comprehend that the masses he expected to behave the part of adoring citizens had their own minds. Although order was temporarily restored and Ceauşescu announced raises and subsidies for workers, mothers, and pensioners, the partly televised incident had made Romanians realize the fragility of the dictatorship. The very same day spontaneous demonstrations broke out in other parts of Bucharest. Among their slogans were: “Freedom,” “Timişoara,” and “We Want Free Elections.”

Twenty-four hours later, unable to reestablish control, the Ceauşescus fled by helicopter from the rooftop of the Communist Party headquarters. Their flight was surprisingly disorganized and ineffective considering the total control the regime had exercised until days before. The couple was caught the same day riding in a car they had commandeered.

Celebratory demonstrations continued in the whole country with young people in particular expressing both joy and fury. The musical rhymed slogan that typified many late December street demonstrations was “Olé, olé, Ceauşescu nu mai e!” (Olé, olé, Ceauşescu is no more). In various locations people cut out the communist coat of arms at the center of the country’s red, yellow, blue flags stripped from government buildings and army vehicles. Soon the army went over to the revolution and the Securitate submitted to army command, although deadly shooting continued for several days. The identity of the “terrorists” that fired at civilians and various buildings has remained a mystery.

If armed repression precluded a peaceful transition to post-communism, violence also replaced due process for the Ceauşescu couple; they met with a perfunctory trial and summary execution on December 25. A deliberate, legal, and public judicial procedure might have helped Romanians come to terms with the record of criminal policies and injustices of the late communist government. It also could have marked the turning over of a new juridical leaf. Such a trial would have implicated many more people beyond the Ceauşescus, including high ranking communists, army officers, and members of the Securitate. Protecting those who shared responsibility for the disastrous communist rule and for the violent repression of 1989 may have been one reason for the severely abbreviated justice the Ceauşescus received after they were captured. But another reason for quick, revolutionary justice was deemed by some observers as necessary in order to damp down the violent struggle still being waged by “terrorists.”

After Romania’s traumatic exit from communism, many unresolved issues remained. People wondered what had happened to the dreaded Securitate, as they continued to see neighbors and colleagues known as its agents prosper under the post-communist order. The NSF leadership that took power featured mostly former communists. Ion Iliescu himself had been part of Ceauşescu’s inner circle before falling out of favor in the 1970s and more definitively in 1984. Although the Front was only supposed to be a transitional governing body, it ran and won—in quite a landslide—in the first free elections of May 1990. The NSF promised some continuity and less uncertainty than the myriad parties—some historic, some brand new—that had sprung up in the new year.

The first electoral campaign and especially the election's outcome elicited renewed anger and street protests both in Timişoara and in the capital. The Timişoara Proclamation in March and the University Square protests in Bucharest in April-June were important landmarks of opposition to what many saw as neo-communist NSF rule. Street demonstrators and the authors of the Proclamation expressed their wrath at having the revolution for which many had sacrificed their lives “hijacked.” They shouted “Down with Iliescu” but also “Who shot at us after the 22nd [of December]?” The extended sit-in and hunger strike in University Square was finally dispersed in June with the brutal assistance of miners brought to Bucharest from the Jiu Valley.

With accession into the European Union in 2007 and—until the recent global downturn—a growing economy, Romania’s integration into a pluralist and prosperous Europe seemed assured. Questions about the 1989 Revolution have remained unanswered but they have receded into the past as Romanians try to look to the future.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Pest Analysis of Romania

...9%). —Conclusion: Romania is a Central European country, and has close connection with neighbors (both Western and Eastern European countries). Ethnic Group —About ethnic group in Romania, the main group is Romanian, which is 89.5% of whole population in Romania. The second one is Hungarian which is 6.6%, Roma is the third one that is 2.5%, the next two groups are German and Russian which are 0.3% and 0.2% respectively. There are some other minorities that is 0.4%. —Conclusion: According to information of ethnic group in Romania, this obviously is a diversified country that includes various minorities. Language —About 89% of the people are ethnic Romanians, a group that-in contrast to its Slovakian or Hungarian neighbors-traces itself to Latin-speaking Romans, who in the second and third centuries A.D. conquered and settled among the ancient Dacians, a Thracian people. As a result, the Romanian language, although comtaining elements of Slovakia, Turkish and other languages, is a Romance language related to French and Italian. In conclusion, Romanian language includes: Romanian (official, 91%), Hungarian (6.7%), Romany (Gypsy, 1.1%), others (1.2%) —Conclusion: This country may have various languages because of different minorities, although Romanian is the official language. History —The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman...

Words: 1610 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Assignment

...on the strongest. Regarding education, it is assumed that all the initiatives in class come from the teachers that transfer their own knowledge to students, which treat teachers with respect. Hierarchy in organizations reflects the existent inequality between the ones from the top and the ones from the bottom, centralization being characteristic, and the difference between wages between upper and lower level is very high. The leader is ideally a benevolent autocrat or a good parent, the subordinates waiting to be told what to do and privileges and status symbols for managers are known and expected. In addition, Hofstede states that all countries with a significant power distance have an intern political violence, materializing through revolutions, street manifestations and frequent strikes. (Hofstede, G. 1996, p. 54) In terms of politics, the qualifications, income, power and status must go along for a great distance from...

Words: 1016 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Student

...called Memoria trandafirului earned some attention at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival. In 1967,Dacii (1967) became the first Romanian hit-movie in Western Europe. Subsequently, Nicolaescu was internationally appreciated as a worthwhile historical films director. He had the privilege to work in France, Germany and other countries on several projects in the seventies and eighties. He directed Michael the Brave (1971) and Atunci i-am condamnat pe toti la moarte (1972), two of the best Romanian movies ever. He also was responsible for such indigenous blockbusters as Nemuritorii (1974),Cu mîinile curate (1972),Noi, cei din linia întîi (1985) and Mircea (1989). Uncle Marin, the Billionaire (1979) is his only comedy to date. After the Romanian Revolution (1989), Nicolaescu became a political figure, but he continued to direct movies. Without the assistance of the military, he couldn't complete as many epics as he did back in the Communist era. Oglinda (1993) and Triunghiul mortii (1999) were well-received at the box-office. A "Steven Spielberg of the Romanian cinema", Nicolaescu is a self-taught technician and, sometimes, an artist who approached various genres and themes. Indeed, most of his films have an evident commercial tinge, but despite new voices that question his talent, ethics or even his professionalism, Sergiu is still appreciated by most of the Romanian...

Words: 253 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Jewish Community in Medias

...Medias Synagogue By Julie Dawson and Letitia Cosnean The Mihai Eminescu Trust 63 Hillgate Place, London W8 7SS Tel. +44 20 72297618 Romania Str. Cojocarilor nr. 10, Sighisoara 545400 Tel. +4 0265 506024 The Mihai Eminescu Trust UK 63 Hillgate Place, London W8 7SS Tel. +44 20 72297618 with the Ten Commandments. The pediment is flanked by two carved wooden acroteria. The mural paintings along the interior walls depict artistic representations of a menorah, vegetal motifs, lions, Stars of David, the Ten Commandments and a fortress, probably a romantic depiction of Jerusalem. During Ceauşescu’s dictatorship, the Trust helped dissidents keep in touch with western academic thought; and by alerting the world to his plan to bulldoze Romania’s rural architecture, it played a part in saving hundreds of villages from destruction. After his death, the Trust turned its attention to the country’s cultural revival and rural regeneration. The Trust concentrates on the Saxon villages of Transylvania, a special case because of the age and richness of their past and the emergency caused by the mass emigration of the Saxon inhabitants to Germany in 1990, leading to the abandonment of many of their houses and a loss of awareness of the value of their heritage. These villages – farmers’ houses and barns built around fortified churches, substantially unchanged since the Middle Ages – lie in spectacularly beautiful surroundings, rich in wild flowers. Wolves, bears and wild boar roam...

Words: 3094 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Migration

...globalization,'' a process that allows reducing geographical constraints on social and cultural processes in which individuals are increasingly aware of this." There is currently no state or part of the world that does not import or export workforce. During the 20th Century the migration process developed significantly. In this period, Romania was predominantly a country of emigration and still is. Acording to some sources, by 1914, a large number of people decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean, most focusing on the U.S. and Canada, the rest of them going to Argentina and Brazil. The presence of Romanian immigrants in the U.S. can be very well demonstrated; the first Romanian immigrants in the present-day country’s territory is attested by the names of the soldiers participating in the union army during the war of secession. It was a massive voluntary migration, with a temporary character, as the Romanian emigrants hoped that they would earn more...

Words: 3860 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Romania’s Post Communism Accounting Practices and the Effects of Adapting Ifrs for Smes

...Romania’s Post Communism Accounting Practices and The Effects of Adapting IFRS for SMEs   Abstract Romania, located in southeastern European, was heavily influenced by the Russian Soviet Union as a socialist republic between 1947 and 1989. With becoming a capitalist country in 1989, its accounting practices began its transformation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Romania accounting practices post its revolution. The paper discusses three major accounting practice conversions made in Romania post communism. Included in this paper are comparisons of previous practices and the implications presented within each practice; along with the pros and cons and many challenges that are associated with the adaptation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for small and medium-sized entities (SMEs).   Romania’s Post Communism Accounting Practices and The Effects of Adapting IFRS Romania is country located in southeastern Europe and is the ninth largest country of the European Union. Between 1947 and 1989, Romania was controlled by the Russian Soviet Union and enforced by communism. Today, reported in its 2011 Census, Romania’s currently has a population of 21,390,000 people and a gross domestic product (GDP) of $179,793,512,340. Though now considered as an upper-middle income country by the World Bank, Romania has faced many transitions from communism to capitalism over the course of the past three...

Words: 1713 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Literature Review Business Ethics

...Literature Review of Strategic Business Analysis Tools: Research Ethics: PEST, BCG and Porter’s Five-Force Model Abstract This literature review takes the work of twelve different scholarly peered-reviewed resources and explains the outcome of their studies. All of the studies were conducted with different strategic analysis tools and how the use of ethics plays a role in each model. Although there are many strategic tools for managers to use, this literature review focuses in on only three tools. The three strategic analysis tools researched in this literature review are the PEST analysis, the BCG growth matrix, and Porter’s five-force model. This literature review compares the work of the different articles to show how each strategic tool was used in the different articles and where ethics play a role in each research method. The end of the literature review entails different recommendations on how to further the research for a better understanding of these strategic tools while continuing to do so in a manner that remains ethical. In conclusion, this literature review is design to give the reader a better understanding of three different strategic management tools and how they are being used professionally and scholarly with allowing for all research to be done in an manner that does not allow for outcomes that can be used in an unethical manner to pad results. Introduction The business environment is rapidly changing and the past has shown that companies who are...

Words: 1594 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Miss

...The Cold War, often dated from 1947 to 1991, was a sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc, dominated by the United States with NATO among its allies, and powers in the Eastern Bloc, dominated by the Soviet Union along with the Warsaw Pact. This began after the success of their temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the US as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences. A neutral faction arose with the Non-Aligned Movement founded by Egypt, India, and Yugoslavia; this faction rejected association with either the US-led West or the Soviet-led East. The name "Cold War" was coined by the English writer George Orwell, after the dropping of the first atomic bombs in 1945 had ushered in a new world also foreseen by H.G. Wells. It described a world where the two major powers—each possessing nuclear weapons and thereby threatened with mutual assured destruction—never met in direct military combat. Instead, in their struggle for global influence they engaged in ongoing psychological warfare and in regular indirect confrontations through proxy wars. Cycles of relative calm would be followed by high tension, which could have led to world war. The tensest times were during the Berlin Blockade (1948–1949), the Korean War (1950–1953), the Suez Crisis (1956), the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the Cuban missile crisis (1962), the Vietnam War (1955–1975), the Yom Kippur War (1973), the Soviet war in Afghanistan...

Words: 542 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Communism in Eastern Europe

...communism Karl Marx and Friedrich Angels, changed the political sphere of the world. Some regarded communism as a Utopian idealism that can never be attained in a society while its proponents believed that it was the answer to all their miseries and sufferings. The communist supporters believed in declaring an open war on their opposition, and this is clear from the most popular last lines of the manifesto: "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. " The revolutions of 1989 marked the death knell of communism in Europe. As a result, not only was Germany reunified in 1990, but soon, revolution spread to...

Words: 928 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Art 100

...Performing and Visual Arts ART/100 November 21, 2012 Larry Wayland Performing and Visual Arts There are many forms of art. The exercise of visual arts can be displayed in drawings, sculptures, photos, architecture designs, and anything that can be seen by the eye. Nature in its purist form is highly functional in design and deference. An artist does not have to be famous to create a beautiful piece of art, artiste are mostly misunderstood people who choose to show how they feel through his or her art piece (Fazenda,1997). The Romanian-born sculptor, Constantin Brancusi stated “Don't look for obscure formulas or mystery in my work. It is pure joy that I offer you. Look at my sculptures until you see them. Those closest to God have seen them (Brezianu, 1965).” The artistic castigations of the viewer bring life to the work and are often welcomed by the creator. The open flow of communications for or against is often used to promote the art piece or the artist. The performing arts are a form where the artists use his or her voice or body to share creative expression with the world. Often performing arts are not viewed as art forms because of the lack of a solid tangible product following the performance. Just as an artist paints on a canvas or a sculptor forms an object from a stone or wood, the dancer or singer places his or herself into the performance (Fazenda,1997). Another form of art is theatre, through the use of speeches, gesturing, sound, and music, the...

Words: 511 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Politics

...General Vladimira.dvorakova@vse.cz Petr.vymetal@vse.cz Midterm november 8th Multiple choices Short answers, brief definitions Open questions Short essay questions Final test before Christmas December 20th Final: 302 SB 20.12.2011 Power point presentation Seminar starting next week (every other week) 10:55 Treason – Verrat Day 1 Ethnical and religious cleavages in central and eastern Europe Does Europe exist? Where should be the borders? Russia and Turkey had a big influence on Europe as well. They dispatched parts of Europe for a long time. Of course the path dependency is present in these regions. The process of European integration started later there. European identity is difficult to describe. Distinction between east and west means post-communism (eastern). Central Europe: Czechs feel like being central Europeans (since they don’t want to be part of eastern Europe.) → idea of central Europe is based on Austrian-Hungarian-Empire + parts of Germany eg Bavaria. The link is also the way of making decisions, working, doing things, tradition, waking up early (Franz Josef) → many similarities. Lot of conflicts in Europe are still connected to events that happened hundreds of years ago. Poland (republic) Linguistic Group: Western Slavic Religion: Catholic (important part of national identity) Ethnical Minorities: German, Ukraine, Belorussian (small and not important) Often divided (Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary) Is called state of wheels...

Words: 2190 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Reactionary Conservatism

...There were several causes and effects of the upheavals and new ideologies that occurred after the French Revolution and during the Industrial Revolution. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna met and set up a system of checking other nations in order to prevent one nation from holding too much European power as France had under Napoleon. These checks on nations led to relative peace. Checks that were placed on France led to increased Belgian and Dutch territory as well as small Prussian territorial gains. In order to create a balance of power, the Congress of Vienna also increased Austrian and Russian territory. When Napoleon escaped from Elba, he returned to France to briefly rule again. His defeat at Waterloo led to the European Congress...

Words: 1631 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

History

...Discussion 2 Locke wrote that all men have a natural right to life, liberty, and property or the fruits of their labor which Jeffersonchanged to "the pursuit of happiness" when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.  Locke also wrote that government is an instrument of the people's will, and the people have the right to rebel if the government proves to be tyrannical or defective. This argument has been used by many revolutionaries, but Jefferson was one of the first to use Locke's ideas to justify revolution. 6. How did industrialization change the work environment? How did industrialization affect cultural exchanges and social change around the globe in the nineteenth century? After the industrialization, the work environment was very harsh and tragic. Laborers were paid very low and had very few or even no any benefits for working with dangerous machines. Their lives were dark and terrible. For example, the work conditions were recorded: "The process of purifying iron, demanded that workers toiled amidst temperatures as high as 130 degrees in the coolest part of the ironworks. Though the hours worked by people did not change, the labor force was poorly paid and made to work harder without rest. They had to work for about 10 to 14 hours a day, six days a week, in harsh conditions. The monotony of the job made them even more unbearable. The relationship between the employers and employee became impersonal and cold, making the employers unmindful of the condition of...

Words: 1486 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Information

...Hungary From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the European country. For other uses, see Hungary (disambiguation). Hungary Magyarország | | | Flag | Coat of arms | | Anthem:  Himnusz Hymn | Location of  Hungary  (dark green) – in Europe  (green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend] | Capital and largest city | Budapest 47°26′N 19°15′E | Official languages | Hungarian | Ethnic groups (2001[1]) | * 92% Hungarians * 2% Roma * 6% others | Demonym | Hungarian | Government | Parliamentary republic |  -  | President | János Áder |  -  | Prime Minister | Viktor Orbán |  -  | Speaker of the National Assembly | László Kövér | Legislature | National Assembly | Foundation |  -  | Foundation | 895  |  -  | Christian kingdom | 1000  |  -  | Secession from Austria-Hungary | 1918  |  -  | Current republic | 23 October 1989  | Area |  -  | Total | 93,030 km2 (109th) 35,919 sq mi  |  -  | Water (%) | 0.74% | Population |  -  | June 2012 estimate | 9,942,000[2] (84th) |  -  | Oct 2011 census | 9,982,000[3] |  -  | Density | 107.2/km2 (94th) 279.0/sq mi | GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |  -  | Total | $195.640 billion[4] |  -  | Per capita | $19,891[4] | GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |  -  | Total | $140.303 billion[4] |  -  | Per capita | $13,045[4] | Gini (2008) | 24.96 (low / 3rd) | HDI (2011) |  0.816[5] (very high / 38th) | Currency...

Words: 14260 - Pages: 58

Premium Essay

The Newer Entrants - Poland. Hungary, Romania

...The NeWer EntrantS Poland, Hungary & Romania The NeWer EntrantS Poland, Hungary & Romania As globalization of the market place continues, many companies that conduct within their nation’s boundaries will find it difficult to survive. Currently worldwide competition is influencing virtually every business in Canada, United States and other industrialized nations. One way to cope with this is to expand beyond a country’s own frontiers. Poland, Hungary and Romania are three countries that are very competitive in the skilled manual labour. This makes them a very attractive location for large corporations to outsource low, medium and sometimes even high levels of production. Multi-national firms can take advantage of cheap labour, high level of technical competence, and excellent infrastructure in these three nations. The Central Eastern European countries are part of the expanding Europe and the countries that fall within this area have opened up many opportunities for multi-national Firms. Many of these countries have recently joined the European Union and NATO have made formidable alliance and agreements that boost their investment opportunity value. History: Poland is a large country with a long and distinguished history. (Europe Global Studies, pg. 48) Poland's history as a state begins near the middle of the 10th century. By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in central and Eastern Europe. During the 18th century...

Words: 6392 - Pages: 26