Persian Realm
به زبان فارسی
PICTORY
LATEST MUSIC
SEARCH
MICHAEL‘s TRIUMPH: Romanian Parliament Welcomes Former King on 90th Birthday
26-Oct-2011
The former king of Romania addressed the parliament in Bucharest for the first time since his forced abdication in 1947. The Parliament's invitation appears as a direct rebuttal of the current President's harsh critics against the monarch.
EURONEWS: The King's speech highlights rifts in Romania
Sixty-four years after his last speech to the Romanian parliament, the country's former King Michael has addressed the chamber again.
But the 90-year-old's presence has highlighted splits that still exist about Romania's past.
He criticised what he called the "contempt for ethics and the central role of state institutions, as well as the personalisation of power in modern Romania".
(Reuters) – Officially Invited by the Romanian Parliament, The Former King’s Presence is also seen as a triumphant rebuttal by Romanians at large beyond political and ideological affiliations including by it’s political elite of the current President of Romania’s slandering assessments towards the former Monarch. Indeed Romanians were shocked and angered at the controversial (and what many historians believe as being widely ignorant) comments by President Traian Basescu (See Article : Shock and criticism after president’s statements on king’s abdication ). The President was himself the center of another contorversy a few years ago and threatened by impeachment in 2007.
The former king of Romania addressed the parliament in Bucharest for the first time since he was forced to abdicate in 1947. Romania's aged former King Michael delivered his first speech to parliament Tuesday since Soviet-backed communists forced him to abdicate more than 60 years ago, highlighting deep divisions overthe country's past.
While opinion polls show most Romanians do not want the monarchy back, post-communist leaders have tried to limit Michael's influence, fearing he could erode their own power if given a platform.
"We cannot have a future without respecting the past," Michael, 90 and looking sprightly in a suit and striped tie, told a packed parliament on his birthday. The king whose current heir is Crown Princess Margarita still has many supporters -- thousands wished him happy birthday on his website -- and some gathered Tuesday outside parliament, a huge marble palace built in central Bucharest by Ceausescu. (Related News)
More Photos Here and Concert Photos in Presence of European Royalties Here
Full Speech As Aired On Romanian TV:
****************************************
****************************************
SPECTACULAR PROTEST SIGNALS DECEPTION
WITH POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT (2010)
*****************************************
*****************************************
In 2010 a Romanian citizen makes a desperate gesture of Protest (by throwing himself from a Balcony into the Parliament Seats) against the current political establishment and the Prime Minister’s Policies which he accused of "destroying the nation’s children’s future". The man, a tv technician, and father of two children fortunately survived with a broken leg and fractures in his head.
********************
********************
ROYAL HEIR’s
********************
********************
Crown Princess Margarita heir to the Throne of Romania:
Crown Princess Margarita and husband Prince Radu:
At a gathering in London with the Romanian Diaspora
********************
********************
KINGDOM OF ROMANIA
********************
********************
Trailer : «The Crown of Romania»
This is a trailer from the documentary film entitled “Coroana Romaniei” (“The Crown of Romania”),directed by Marian Baciu from Sahia Studios in Bucharest, produced in 2010. The director presents the reigns of King Carol I, King Carol II, and His Majesty King Michael, together with the historian Valentin Mandache. King Ferdinand and his achievements are likewise surveyed. DM
Romanian Kings and Rulers –Romania
King Carol II of Romania & Prince Michael in the UK 1938
***********************************************
***********************************************
Romania's former King Michael I addresses parliament
**********************************************
**********************************************
Romania's former King Michael I addresses parliament (bbc)
The former king of Romania has addressed parliament in Bucharest for the first time since he was forced to abdicate in 1947.
Speaking on his 90th birthday, King Michael I called on politicians to strengthen democracy in Romania and restore the country's dignity.
He received a standing ovation from many MPs.
However, some government ministers, and President Traian Basescu, refused to attend the event.
Members of Europe's royal families were joining him for his birthday celebrations, attending a gala concert at the Romanian Opera before a private dinner.
But officials say there are no plans for Romania to revert to a monarchy.
"We want to honour and to celebrate an important person of our history and of contemporary history," Romania's Liberal Party leader Crin Antonescu - whose party invited the former monarch to speak - was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
"It is a symbolic gesture that has no connection to the idea of changing Romania's status as a republic," Mr Antonescu added.
Test pilot
The king, who sat on a throne-like chair in parliament, said since the collapse of Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship in 1989: "The last 20 years have brought democracy, freedom and a beginning of prosperity."
"The time has come after 20 years to break for good with the bad habits of the past", such as "demagogy, selfishness and attempts to cling to power".
"It is within our power to make this country prosperous and worthy of admiration", he added, prompting a standing ovation.
King Michael I reigned from 1927 to 1930, and again from 1940 to 1947.
In December 1947, Romania's new Communist leaders threatened to carry out mass executions if he refused to abdicate.
In an interview with the BBC's Nick Thorpe, the former monarch described how the authorities had blackmailed him: "If you don't sign this thing now, we're going to have to shoot or kill 1,000 people that are already in prison."
"What do you do in a case like that?"
The king was then banned from returning to Romania for nearly half a century.
The Romanian royal family settled near Geneva in Switzerland, and the former king had to find work.
He said one of his favourite jobs was as a test pilot on private aeroplanes in Europe and the United States.
He met his future wife, Anne of Bourbon-Parma, at the wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in London in 1947.
King Michael's Romanian citizenship was restored in 1997.
*******************************
*******************************
HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOUR MAJESTY
*******************************
*******************************
A glittering birthday celebration was held at the National Opera with members of reigning and non-reigning royals attending. They included the King of Sweden, Queen Sofia of Spain, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, and Grand Duchess Maria and her son Giorgi of the House of Romanov, as well as Bulgaria’sformer King Simeon. (Concert Photos in Presence of European Royalties Here)
Concert Held for 90th Birthday of Romania’s Last King:
Recommended Readings:
Romania's ex-King Michael Idefends his wartime record by Nick Thorpe
Romania king's speech highlights historical split By Ioana Patran(Bucharest Correspondent for Reuters)
Related Pictory :
Shah of Iran visits Communist Non Aligned Nation of Romania (Watch BritishPathé News Here)
Description:Bucharest, Rumania.
GV The Shah's plane taxis in. VS Shah of Iran (aka Shah of Persia - Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi) coming down steps and being greeted by Rumanian President Chivu Stoica and members of the state council. He receives flowers from young girls and then inspects Guard of Honour. MS Shah and President in open car drive through streets. VS The Shah and President now meet officially for talk, they get around table along with other members including President of the Ministers Council, Ion Gheorghe Maurer.
Related Blogs:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUKE: Shahbanou Farah and Prince Philip
SHAH’s WALTZ: Shah of Iran Visits Vienna (1960)
Other Related Blogs on East European Monarchs:
Recent Poll Suggests Majority of Serbians Support Restoration of the Monarchy
ROYAL FORUM: Crown Prince of Serbia Seeks to Restore The Monarchy
Montenegro Welcomes Back It's Crown Prince and Royal Family
Austrian Royal Hype Tempts Son of Late Habsburg Heir to Enter Politics
OTTO VON HABSBURG (1912-2011): Austria Holds National Funeral for It’s Last Emperor
Other Related Blogs:
RESTORATION: Belgium King Baudouin takes Oath Amidst Republican Animosity (31st July ,1950)
HISTORY FORUM:How Truly Democratic is The British Monarchy ?
HISTORY FORUM:The Monarchy with David Starkey (Cambridge University)
REPUBLICAN PRINCE: Simeon II of Bulgaria From King to Prime Minister
RESTORATION:Greek Constitutional Monarchy Toppled by Military Coup (April 21st, 1967)
| Recently by Darius Kadivar | Comments | Date |
|---|---|---|
| TOMBSTONE: Bidding Goodbye to Iranian.com (ers) | 4 | Dec 05, 2012 |
| ROYAL PREGNANCY: Prince William, Duchess of Cambridge Announce Pregnancy | 3 | Dec 04, 2012 |
| DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: Golshifteh Farahani & Sienna Miller in Road Movie ‘Just Like a Woman » | - | Dec 03, 2012 |
RECENT COMMENTS
IRANIANS OF THE DAY
| Person | About | Day |
|---|---|---|
| نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
| Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
| Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
| احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
| گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
| Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
| محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
| Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
Romanian impeachment bid foiled
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Aug 22, 2012 06:02 AM PDTRomanian impeachment bid foiled (bbc)
Romania's suspended President Traian Basescu is set to return after the Constitutional Court rules that a referendum on his impeachment was invalid.
Romania president 'survives' vote
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Jul 29, 2012 04:02 PM PDTRomania president 'survives' vote (bbc)
Romanian President Traian Basescu appears to have survived a referendum on his impeachment, as the turnout falls below the required 50%.
Romania holds referendum on Future of President Basescu
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Jul 29, 2012 01:51 AM PDTRomania holds Basescu referendum (bbc)
Romanians are voting in a referendum on whether to impeach centre-right President Traian Basescu, a vote which has caused EU alarm.
‘In Romania, there’s no commitment to democracy’ say's EU
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:15 PM PDT‘In Romania, there’s no commitment to democracy’ (France 24)
Following in the footsteps of wayward EU member Hungary, one of Europe’s poorest countries, Romania, is the next post-Soviet state to be accused by Brussels of testing its democratic boundaries.Just under two years ago, newly-elected Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, began fiddling with the country’s media laws and constitution, provoking an outcry from the European Commission, who deemed the Orban’s reforms a risk to the country’s young democracy. Following in its footsteps today is Romania, one of the European Union’s newest members and also one of its poorest.
The European Commission has accused Romania’s centre-left prime minister, Victor Ponta (pictured top left), of breaching democratic principles by suspending right-wing president Traian Basescu, in what Basescu has called a “coup against the rule of law”. A highly critical report published by the commission Wednesday highlighted concerns about Ponta’s leftist government’s attempts to oust President Basescu.
Romanians trust ex King Michael more than President
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jul 12, 2012 02:59 PM PDTRomanians have the highest confidence in King Mihai I
President Basescu plunges to lowest confidence score since he took office. More and more Romanians have confidence in King Mihai, according to an opinion poll conducted by IMAS for the Adevarul newspaper on January 11-17. The former sovereign comes first, with a confidence score of 36.6 pc, followed by Liberal leader Crin Antonescu (25.4 pc), and by the head of Social-Democrats, Victor Ponta (22.5 pc). The fourth place is held by the president of the Greater Romania Party (PRM) Corneliu Vadim Tudor, which returns ‘en force’ in the first echelon of Romanian politicians.EU warns Romania PM over crisis
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jul 12, 2012 02:49 PM PDTEU warns Romania PM over crisis (bbc)
A top EU official has urged Romania's prime minister to safeguard judicial independence and the rule of law as a political crisis takes its toll.
Concern for democracy as Romania's political feud erupts
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Jul 11, 2012 04:05 PM PDTOpen warfare (bbc)
Concern for democracy as Romania's political feud erupts
Romania's deep political rivalries have broken out into a turf war that has caused alarm in Brussels and that the opposition has compared to a coup.
President Basescu left the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest on Tuesday morning, driving his own car, a Romanian-built Dacia Logan, closely followed by his bodyguards in another vehicle.
An hour later, Acting President Crin Antonescu arrived from the Senate to take his place. Each day in Romania brings new political drama, with tempers frayed by a fortnight of record high summer temperatures, and the attempted suicide and imprisonment for corruption of a former Prime Minister, Adrian Nastase.Romanian President faces impeachment
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Jul 04, 2012 03:56 PM PDTRomanian head faces impeachment (bbc)
Romania's President Traian Basescu faces a referendum on his impeachment after the governing coalition called for him to be suspended.
Romania opposition leader to become PM
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Apr 28, 2012 02:14 PM PDTRomania opposition leader to become PM (France 24)
Romanian President Traian Basescu nominated leftist opposition leader Victor Ponta as Prime Minister on Friday following a no-confidence vote that brought down a two-month old centre-right government.Romania's government falls after Parliament vote
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Apr 28, 2012 03:25 AM PDTRomania's government falls after Parliament vote (CNN)
Bucharest, Romania (CNN) -- Romania's government collapsed Friday and a new prime minister was appointed after a censure motion filed by the opposition won approval in Parliament.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Romania PM loses confidence vote as government falls
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:17 AM PDTRomania PM loses confidence vote (bbc)
Romania's government has been unseated in a no-confidence vote, just two months after taking office.
The opposition seized on public anger over austerity measures to oust prime minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu.
The centre-right coalition had cut salaries and raised sales tax to try to put the economy on a more sound footing.
President Traian Basescu will nominate a new prime minister who must then win parliament's approval.
Opposition leader Victor Ponta welcomed the vote saying it marked the end of "an abusive system that uses any weapon possible.
"Today there was justice," he said.
If politicians are unable to agree on a new prime minister the November parliamentary election could be brought forward.Romania spy chief 'to be new PM'
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 06, 2012 01:49 PM PSTRomania spy chief 'to be new PM' (bbc)
Romania's president has nominated the country's intelligence service chief as prime minister hours after Emil Bloc resigned amid austerity protests.
"The ruling coalition agreed to appoint Mihai Razvan Ungureanu as prime minister designate," President Traian Basescu said in a statement.
The nomination now requires approval by Romania's parliament.
Mr Boc said he was stepping down to "defuse political and social tension" in the face of three weeks of protests.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, he said he had given up the government's mandate as "it is the moment for important political decisions".
Although Romania's economy grew last year, the government has been hit by widespread demonstrations.
Romanian PM resigns over protests
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Feb 06, 2012 08:56 AM PSTRomanian PM resigns over protests (bbc)
Romania's Prime Minister Emil Boc has stepped down to "defuse political and social tension" after a series of protests against austerity measures.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, he said he had given up the government's mandate as "it is the moment for important political decisions".
Although Romania's economy grew last year, the government has been hit by three weeks of demonstrations.
Nick ThorpeBBC Central Europe correspondent
The fall of Emil Boc's government was sudden but not unexpected. With public support shrinking almost by the day, and small but widespread and remarkably persistent protests against his government, he clearly felt he did not have sufficient legitimacy to continue.
President Basescu lost no time in appointing the current Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu as caretaker prime minister. This solves the immediate danger of a power vacuum, but not the larger problem of the lack of legitimacy.
Parliamentary elections have to be held by November (the last were in 2008). But Mr Boc's proposal that they be held simultaneously with local elections was rejected last week by the Constitutional Court. The most likely scenario is that the Parliamentary election will be brought forward to the summer.Sporadic calls for the Return of Monarchy in Romania Protests
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jan 20, 2012 01:05 AM PSTRiots in Romania: Anger management | The Economist
ROMANIANS are not often thought of as combustible folk. That may change after the country was overrun by street protests that show no sign of letting up. Bucharest, the capital, saw its worst violence for 20 years, as protesters burnt tyres and scuffled with riot police. Dozens were hurt and the city centre was damaged.
As many as 10,000 people continued their protests in 60 towns and cities across the country, demanding snap elections and Mr Basescu’s resignation. Several told reporters that the treatment of Mr Arafat had just been “the spark” for the protests, and that their anger was deeper. They had a wide range of grievances, from poverty to the effect of austerity measures linked to an IMF programme and inconsistent tax rises. Some even called for the return of Romania’s monarchy.
Palestinian Arafat becomes figurehead of Romania's Demonstration
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:30 AM PSTThe trigger was a live, televised spat between President Basescu and junior health minister Dr Raed Arafat, a physician who is well-known and respected for reforming almost single-handedly, largely against the wish of the old medical establishment, the ambulance-paramedics system.
When the president blamed Dr Arafat for blocking an important health care reform law because "he was a leftie who didn't like privatisation and competition", the public instinctively stood with the austere doctor against the rude and flamboyant politician.Romanians rise up against austerity
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:25 AM PSTStreet power (bbc)
"Brutal and unthinkable in a West European country." That was the verdict on two years of Romanian austerity measures from Andreas Treichl, the president of Austria's Erste Group, the largest foreign investor in the Romanian banking sector.
Romania braced for more demos over austerity measures
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:23 AM PSTThe authorities in Romania are bracing for more demonstrations today after a week of growing public anger about planned austerity measures.
Thursday saw some of the largest protests in years as thousands of people gathered in the capital Bucharest, calling on the government to resign.
Daniel Griffiths reports.Police and protestors clash in Romania
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Jan 15, 2012 03:59 AM PSTPolice and protestors clash in Romania (BBC Video)
There have been clashes between demonstrators and riot police in Romania, after thousands took to the streets for a third day.
The protests in the capital Bucharest are against government cuts and falling living standards.
The gathered crowds are calling for early elections and the resignation of President Traian Basescu, who came to power in 2004.
The BBC's Janey Mitchell reports.