Another lesson to learn

by Andreea Marinas

The population of Romania continued to decline due to demographic causes and the decline increased in February when 10,137 inhabitants were lost.

A way to reverse the ‘curse’ would be to increase the birth rate, in February 2018 only 12,691 children were born, 4,437 fewer than the previous month and 325 fewer than in February 2017. At the same time, 22,828 deaths were recorded, 795 less than in January and 119 more than in February 2017.

How to stop jinxing ourselves is an issue of deeper origins. From marriages to giving birth, everything is going down in our country and not at all for no reason. For instance, the number of divorces awarded by final court judgments in February was 2,909, 2,156 more than in January.

So as much as our governors try to instill a sense of order and to ‘revenge’ the less lucky classes or branches by increasing salaries and pensions, Romania’s population declined last year by 69,279 people due to the demographic decline, which stands for 27.5% more than in 2016, mainly as a result of declining birth rates.

These are not just random and uncontrollable fact figures. Uninspired decisions or the lack of reaction when it comes to the many problems our country deals with – and OK, we’re not the only ones, yet according to the international surveys and studies we kind of rank least when it comes to positive aspects and first in regards with the negative ones –, doubled by double whammies people tend to see – and not baseless – as malevolent, make many follow Japan’s path and stop reproducing themselves.

‘The man in the mirror” would say the change starts with you. And Anca Muresan seems to believe it as she has recently posted on her public Facebook wall her salary receipt in an attempt to prove the increases did take effect. Surgeon in Cluj-Napoca, Anca is now content with her doubled wage amounting to EUR 2,400. Why such a move? Also because Anca witnesses and experiences bribery almost on a daily basis. “(…) The duty of the Romanian state is to respect its citizens, physicians having received decent salaries starting this month, so from now on, dear colleagues, when you stretch out your hand to take the envelope, look into the eyes of the one standing in front of you.”