Romanian orphans provokes storm in Parliament
GOOGLE TRANSLATION
Romania's orphans cause a storm in the European Parliament
Thursday, April 6, 2000, 11:00 PM
It must be very clear to everyone, the problem cannot be solved only with the promises that Romania has been making for 10 years and it is not even enough to recognize that this problem exists. What is important is what we do next, what is important is how we act, what is important is commitment! As they say at high levels of power, for all this, political will from the Romanian authorities is needed first of all, otherwise the results that the whole world and, especially, Romania are expecting will not be achieved. The reform of the system cannot be done if there is no capacity to take the necessary measures and decisions, if the mechanisms for implementing the reform are not put in place, if the rigor of a functional budgetary mechanism is not respected. Romania suffers from the syndrome of institutionalized children and for 10 years it has not been able to decide to apply a "treatment" - which, in fact, is not even that painful -, which has cost us: Romania's international image suffered a new serious deterioration when the start of EU accession negotiations was conditioned by the resolution of this problem, a condition set as a political criterion for respecting human rights! The first public hearing took place at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday - organized at its initiative - during which the issue of institutionalized children was debated. Why? Because, some time ago, a French non-governmental organization, led by Francois de Combret, which was part of the assistance program in this matter, made a complaint accusing the European Commission of having ensured a very poor management of the problem and of the funds allocated to Romania. The meeting was opened by Nicole Fontaine - the President of the European Parliament -, who, in her speech, spoke about what has been done in Romania since 1990, about the fact that the EP understands the very difficult problems that Romania is facing, but that the efforts that have been made so far have not been at the level of the needs in the country. Regarding the issue of institutionalized children, Nicole Fontaine drew attention to the fact that Romania must have the capacity to protect the weak, "an indispensable condition to ensure the social cohesion and solidarity on which the construction of Europe is based" and expressed her hope that the newly established National Agency for Child Protection will be able to find the solution and will therefore be able to perform.
The EP is the European institution that, in 1991, opened a budget line – from the EU budget – for children in Romania, precisely to support the structural reforms – essential, by the way – that need to be made in the system. To underline the EP's support and openness, Ms Fontaine said that "the EP has always insisted that Romania has the place it deserves in the enlargement process" and further, "to have its place in the European Union of tomorrow,within the great European family to which it belongs" and, in conclusion, to give the measure and importance attached to this children's problem, she quoted Albert Einstein: "The word progress has no meaning as long as there are unhappy children".
Then came the turn of Romania, which sent to Brussels a strong parliamentary and governmental delegation composed of Mariana Stoica, co-chair of the EU-Romania Permanent Parliamentary Committee, and Andrei Marga - the Romanian Minister of National Education, Vlad Romano - the president of the National Agency for the Protection of Children's Rights, accompanied by several representatives of non-governmental organizations such as: Olivier Braunsteffer - secretary general of the SERA Association and Gabriela Alexandrescu - president of the "Save the Children" Association. They talked about the problems Romania is facing, they talked about how the children's problem was managed, about the efforts, the achievements in this field, about the reform, about a very well-received increase by 26% of the budget allocated to this problem for the year 2000, about the importance about the prevention of abandonment, about the importance of a family for any child and about supporting families in difficulty, about the integration of these children into society. But the adoption system in Romania, which apparently does not respect the Hague Convention signed by our country, was highlighted by all sides as a very serious problem, and there was an implication of mafia-type organizations in this problem. Romania was once again reminded that the PHARE programs do not represent a humanitarian assistance policy, "but a way to help candidate countries fully assume their responsibilities and, to the same extent, enjoy all the rights when they become EU members".
Mr. Eneko Landaburu, Director General of the European Commission, said, in a very firm tone – after the interventions of the members of the Romanian delegation – that Romania will not receive the PHARE funds nor the 25 million euros allocated since July – and still not granted – if there are no clear guarantees from the Government that the programs will be implemented. Through the voice of Mr. Landaburu, the European Commission also requested three things: control of the humanitarian assistance granted; an audit of the institutions to see the exact state of affairs; support for the Agency for a policy of preventing abandonment, supporting families in difficulty, etc., underlining in this context the importance of the existence of a system of supervision and monitoring of the implemented programs and of a quantified multi-annual program for easily verifying the progress made. The European Commission's desire and openness to discuss and support this entire reform process was reaffirmed, giving assurances that there are financial resources available. As was natural,The Romanian side presented the current situation in the field, talking about the efforts and problems it faces and about the need to be supported on this path.
Minister Andrei Marga affirmed the commitment of the Romanian Government, in its executive capacity, to closely monitor the evolution of the situation and to use the suggestions received in the most constructive spirit in the actions undertaken.
The speech of Mr. Vlad Romano, president of the National Agency for the Protection of Children's Rights - an organization established at the request of the European Commission - was awaited with great interest, as this is the forum that will have to find the best solutions to resolve the situation and is credited as such. But, surprise! Instead of hearing a firm and clear speech and benefiting from a concise and to the point presentation of the Government Strategy on the Protection of Children's Rights in the period 2000 - 2003, we witnessed a lamentable, boring and insubstantial performance. No one can accuse Mr. Romano of not making an introduction in which he thanked many, many people, of not repeating what had already been said, of not presenting the strategy point by point (a strategy that is very good, and which, with small changes made to emphasize certain aspects, can be used to obtain the involvement of major donors) and even of not referring to the budget and legislation, but he was overwhelmed by how much he had to say, and the tone, excuse the expression, "like a spirit", with which he spoke for a considerable period of time, I will illustrate it with a quote that I think is eloquent: "In what I am about to say, I will try to bring as many clear details of things as possible... however, having so much to say, at a given moment, I may not be able to do this and I will ask you to pull my sleeve and ask me for explanations when you find that I have not explained something well enough". That's right, openness! Mr. Romano said that the problems will not be miraculously solved overnight and that reforms will take time, because there is room: "I fear that there is a lot of room to improve management at the local level, especially financial management", he declared, probably wanting to emphasize that not much has been done so far. President Romano also referred to the programs of national interest, which are programs for reforming institutions and supporting alternatives for these institutions. It would be worth mentioning an aspect to which Mr. Romano referred, "raising the awareness - I hesitated because I did not want to offend - of Romanian society". Is it at a time when the image of Romania is confused with that of children in orphanages, when all the televisions in the world have presented terrifying images from orphanages, when we are conditioned to solve this problem in order to be able to enter where we belong,can we still talk about raising awareness? Can we ask Romanian society, saying that there are resources, "... to assume (the problem) not only as being and existing, but to assume alongside the Government the financing of this problem", when over 8 million inhabitants of Romania live below the poverty line? Of course, yes, but we must take into account the fact that non-governmental organizations, indispensable in such situations, do not have enough power to do this, that they do not have the necessary tools to do what they would like! And there's something else: do the relevant bodies have enough credibility in Romania so that, let's say, an individual donor can be sure that the money doesn't end up elsewhere, after so many scandals regarding irregularities in financial management, to which Mr. Romano himself referred?! Scandalous photos in the European ParliamentThe biggest and most unpleasant surprise of Tuesday's hearings was offered by Mr. Olivier Braunsteffer, the secretary general of the SERA Association, who, in addition to exposing the situation - "After 10 years, the situation has not fundamentally changed, ... there are orphanages where the conditions are abominable, ... where the mortality rate is unacceptably high" - presented "some photos taken last Friday, not to propagate the miserable conditions that we were able to observe nor to discredit the Romanian representatives..." The photos are, as you could see, terrifying, and the reaction of Mrs. Mariana Stoica, who led the Romanian delegation, was almost instantaneously upon seeing them, asking where and when they were made. The answer came immediately: at the Babeni Home-Hospital, Vilcea County.
But things did not end there, because, before Ms. Thors' conclusions were presented, Ms. Mariana Stoica asked for the floor again and said: "... as a result of the telephone conversation that one of my colleagues, the Secretary of State for Justice, had with Babeni, I would like to emphasize the following fact: there was no commission in Babeni, where SERA has been working for a year, and for a week now there has been no visit of any kind to this home. This information has been verified by our bodies, including the border ones, therefore, from this point of view we are grateful to you and we invite you to come to Romania anytime, under any conditions and with any commissions you wish, to see what the actual situation of the children in our institutions is". What did SERA want when it presented these photos? Anyway, after the reaction of the SERA representative to Mrs. Stoica's answer, it is clear that it did not expect the immediate verification of the information by the Romanian side: it had no more arguments or maybe it did not pull the ace out of its sleeve! Anyway, this changes the game, because if the Romanian authorities are right, it means that someone is trying to misinform.Why? The episode of the "photographs from the Babeni Home" puts us once again in a situation that, through repeatability, becomes more than embarrassing for Romania's prestige. They were brought as proof - yet another - of what the hell is in the institutions that take care of orphaned children in Romania. Those who brought them - members of the French association SERA - have the reputation of knowing what they are talking about, especially since the enormous pressure they have been exerting for some time now on the Romanian and European institutions in the field also enjoys an argument that makes the game even more interesting, but also strange: the program director of this institution, in Romania, is none other than Mr. Cristian Tabacaru, former secretary of state in the Romanian Government, whose name has often been evoked in connection with many of the notorious failures in the management of funds allocated by the European community in favor of institutionalized children in our country. If these photos are real, in the sense that, as stated, they were taken only a few days ago, then the situation is very serious: it means that, beyond fine words, no one has done anything to improve the situation, and those responsible should be held accountable. But if, as Mrs. Mariana Stoica stated during the hearings at the European Parliament (after, for several hours, being in telephone contact with the authorities in Bucharest), the photos are older, then we are faced with a serious disinformation campaign that harms the political interests of the Romanian state. And such an action must be punished firmly, clearly, as such. I hereby address an appeal to the competent Romanian authorities to clarify the mystery of the "Babeni photos" and make them public. At the same time, I also address an appeal to my colleagues in the Romanian press, asking them to react, knowing very well what the short-term, but also in a longer perspective, more than harmful effects of implanting such an image at the level of world public opinion are. I believe that, in the end, Romania, at least on this subject, should counterattack. (Cristian Unteanu, Diana Andrei – Brussels)whose name has often been evoked in connection with many of the notorious failures in the management of funds allocated by the European community in favor of institutionalized children in our country. If these photos are real, in the sense that, as stated, they were taken only a few days ago, then the situation is very serious: it means that, beyond fine words, no one has done anything to improve the situation, and those responsible should be held accountable. But if, as Mrs. Mariana Stoica stated during the hearings at the European Parliament (after, for several hours, being in telephone contact with the authorities in Bucharest), the photos are older, then we are faced with a serious disinformation campaign that harms the political interests of the Romanian state. And such an action must be punished firmly, clearly, as such. I hereby address an appeal to the competent Romanian authorities to clarify the mystery of the "Babeni photos" and make them public. At the same time, I also address an appeal to my colleagues in the Romanian press, asking them to react, knowing very well what the short-term, but also in a longer perspective, more than harmful effects of implanting such an image at the level of world public opinion are. I believe that, in the end, Romania, at least on this subject, should counterattack.
(Cristian Unteanu, Diana Andrei – Brussels)whose name has often been evoked in connection with many of the notorious failures in the management of funds allocated by the European community in favor of institutionalized children in our country. If these photos are real, in the sense that, as stated, they were taken only a few days ago, then the situation is very serious: it means that, beyond fine words, no one has done anything to improve the situation, and those responsible should be held accountable. But if, as Mrs. Mariana Stoica stated during the hearings at the European Parliament (after, for several hours, being in telephone contact with the authorities in Bucharest), the photos are older, then we are faced with a serious disinformation campaign that harms the political interests of the Romanian state. And such an action must be punished firmly, clearly, as such. I hereby address an appeal to the competent Romanian authorities to clarify the mystery of the "Babeni photos" and make them public. At the same time, I also address an appeal to my colleagues in the Romanian press, asking them to react, knowing very well what the short-term, but also in a longer perspective, more than harmful effects of implanting such an image at the level of world public opinion are. I believe that, in the end, Romania, at least on this subject, should counterattack. (Cristian Unteanu, Diana Andrei – Brussels)
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Orfanii Romaniei provoaca furtuna in Parlamentul European
Data publicarii: 07/04/2000
Problema copiilor institutionalizati reprezinta, din punctul de vedere al opiniei publice internationale, unul dintre "capetele de afis" cind este vorba despre Romania. De zece ani se tot vorbeste despre situatia dezastruoasa a copiilor institutionalizati din Romania, iar in acesti ani, situatia nu numai ca nu s-a imbuntatit, ci s-a ajuns ca, in primavara anului 1999, sa fie considerata o situatie de criza umanitara. Si asta nu pentru ca Romania nu ar fi beneficiat de intelegere si de ajutor din partea comunitatii internationale, ci pur si simplu pentru ca nu a fost capabila sa solutioneze o problema pentru care a primit asistenta - morala, financiara si in experti - a comunitatii internationale.
Trebuie sa fie foarte clar pentru toata lumea, problema nu se poate rezolva numai cu promisiunile pe care Romania le face de 10 ani si nici macar nu este suficient sa recunoastem ca exista aceasta problema. Important este ce facem mai departe, important este modul in care actionam, importanta este angajarea! Asa cum se spune la nivelurile inalte de putere, pentru toate acestea este nevoie, in primul rind, de vointa politica din partea autoritatilor romane, altfel nu se vor obtine rezultatele pe care le asteapta o lume intreaga si, mai ales, Romania. Reforma sistemului nu se poate face daca nu exista capacitatea de a lua masurile si deciziile necesare, daca nu se pun la punct mecanismele de punere in practica a reformei, daca nu se respecta rigoarea unui mecanism bugetar functional. Romania sufera de sindromul copiilor institutionalizati si de 10 ani nu se poate hotari sa aplice un "tratament" - care, de fapt, nici macar nu este atit de dureros -, ceea ce ne-a costat: imaginea pe plan international a Romaniei a suferit o noua grava deteriorare cind inceperea negocierilor de aderare la UE a fost conditionata de rezolvarea acestei probleme, conditie pusa ca un criteriu politic de respectare a drepturilor omului!La Parlamentul European de la Bruxelles a avut loc marti prima audiere publica - organizata la initiativa acestuia - in cadrul careia a fost dezbatuta problema copiilor institutionalizati. De ce? Pentru ca, in urma cu ceva timp, o organizatie non-guvernamentala franceza, condusa de Francois de Combret, care a fost parte a programului de asistenta in aceasta problema, a facut o sesizare prin care acuza Comisia Europeana de a fi asigurat un foarte prost management al problemei si al fondurilor alocate Romaniei.Sedinta a fost deschisa de Nicole Fontaine - presedintele Parlamentului European -, care, in discursul sau, a vorbit despre ceea ce s-a facut in Romania din 1990, despre faptul ca PE intelege problemele foarte grele cu care se confrunta Romania, dar ca eforturile ce au fost facute pina acum nu au fost la nivelul nevoilor din tara. In ce priveste problema copiilor institutionalizati, Nicole Fontaine a atras atentia asupra faptului ca Romania trebuie sa aiba capacitatea de a-i proteja pe cei slabi, "conditie indispendabila pentru a asigura coeziunea sociala si solidaritatea pe care se bazeaza constructia Europei" si si-a exprimat speranta ca nou-infiintata Agentie Nationala pentru Protectia Copilului va putea gasi solutia si va putea deci fi performanta. PE este institutia europeana care, in 1991, a deschis o linie bugetara - din bugetul UE - pentru copiii din Romania, tocmai pentru a sprijini reformele structurale - esentiale, de altfel - ce trebuie facute in sistem. Pentru a sublinia sprijinul si deschiderea PE, doamna Fontaine a spus ca "PE a insistat mereu ca Romania sa aiba locul pe care il merita in procesul de extindere" si mai departe, "de a avea locul in Uniunea Europeana de miine, in sinul marii familii europene careia ii apartine" si, in incheiere, pentru a da masura si importanta atasate acestei probleme a copiilor l-a citat pe Albert Einstein: "Cuvintul progres nu are nici un sens cit timp exista copii nefericiti".A venit apoi rindul Romaniei, care a deplasat la Bruxelles o puternica delegatie parlamentara si guvernamentala compusa din Mariana Stoica, copresedinte al Comitetului Parlamentar permanent UE-Romania, si Andrei Marga - ministrul roman al educatiei nationale, Vlad Romano - presedintele Agentiei Nationale pentru Protectia Drepturilor Copilului, insotiti de citiva reprezentanti ai organizatiilor non-guvernamentale precum: Olivier Braunsteffer - secretar general al Asociatiei SERA si Gabriela Alexandrescu - presedintele Asociatiei "Salvati Copiii". S-a vorbit despre problemele cu care se confrunta Romania, s-a vorbit despre cum a fost gestionata problema copiilor, despre eforturile, realizarile din acest domeniu, despre reforma, despre o foarte bine primita crestere cu 26% a bugetului alocat acestei probleme pe anul 2000, despre importanta prevenirii abandonurilor, despre importanta unei familii pentru orice copil si despre sprijinirea familiilor aflate in dificultate, despre integrarea acestor copii in societate. Dar s-a subiliat, de toate partile, in mod special ca fiind o problema foarte grava, cea a sistemului adoptiilor din Romania, care, se pare, nu respecta Conventia de la Haga semnata de tara noastra, sesizindu-se o implicare a unor organizatii de tip mafiot in aceasta problema. Romaniei i s-a atras din nou atentia ca programele PHARE nu reprezinta o politica de asistenta umanitara, "ci un mod de a ajuta tarile candidate sa isi asume pe deplin responsabilitatile ce le revin si, in aceeasi masura, sa se bucure de toate drepturile cind vor deveni membre UE". Domnul Eneko Landaburu, director general in cadrul Comisiei Europene, a spus, pe un ton foarte ferm - dupa interventiile membrilor delegatiei romane -, ca Romania nu va primi fondurile PHARE si nici cele 25 milioane de euro alocate inca din luna iulie - si inca neacordate - daca nu exista garantii clare din partea Guvernului ca programele vor fi implementate. Prin vocea domnului Landaburu, Comisia Europeana a cerut de asemenea trei lucruri: controlul asistentei umanitare acordate; un audit al institutiilor pentru a se vedea starea exacta a lucrurilor; sprijinirea Agentiei pentru o politica de prevenire a abandonurilor, de sustinere a familiilor in dificultate etc., subliniindu-se in acest context importanta existentei unui sistem de supraveghere si monitorizare a programelor implementate si a unui program plurianual cuantificat pentru verificarea cu usurinta a progreselor facute. S-a reafirmat dorinta si deschiderea Comisiei Europene de a discuta si de a sustine intreg acest proces de reforma, dindu-se asigurari ca exista resurse financiare disponibile.Cum era firesc, partea romana a prezentat situatia actuala in domeniu, vorbind despre eforturile si problemele cu care se confrunta si despre nevoia de a fi sprijinita pe acest drum. Domnul ministru Andrei Marga a afirmat angajarea Guvernului roman, in capacitatea sa executiva, de a supraveghea indeaproape evolutia situatiei si de a folosi in cel mai constructiv spirit in actiunile asumate sugestiile primite. Asteptat cu foarte mare interes a fost discursul domnului Vlad Romano, presedintele Agentiei Nationale pentru Protectia Drepturilor Copilului - organizatie infiintata la cererea Comisiei Europene -, acesta fiind forul care va trebui sa gaseasca solutiile cele mai bune de rezolvare a situatiei si creditat ca atare. Dar, surpriza! In loc sa auzim un discurs ferm si clar si sa beneficiem de o prezentare concisa si la obiect a Strategiei guvernamentale privind protectia drepturilor copilului in perioada 2000 - 2003, am asistat la o prestatie lamentabila, plicticoasa si lipsita de substanta. Nimeni nu il poate acuza pe domnul Romano ca nu a facut o introducere in care a adresat multumiri multe, multe, ca nu a repetat ce se mai spusese, ca nu a prezentat strategia pe puncte (strategie care este foarte buna, si care, cu mici modificari facute pentru a sublinia anumite aspecte, poate fi folosita pentru a obtine implicarea marilor donori) chiar, ca nu s-a referit la buget si la legislatie, insa domnia sa a fost coplesit de cite avea sa spuna, iar tonul, ma scuzati de expresie, "ca la un sprit", cu care a vorbit un interval de timp apreciabil, vi-l ilustrez printr-un citat care cred ca este elocvent: "In ceea ce urmeaza sa spun, voi incerca sa aduc cit mai multe detalii clare a lucrurilor... s-ar putea insa, avind atit de multe de spus, la un moment dat, sa nu reusesc sa fac asta si am sa va rog sa ma trageti de mineca si sa-mi cereti explicatii cind gasiti ca un lucru nu l-am explicat suficient de bine". Asta da, deschidere! Domnul Romano a spus ca problemele nu se vor rezolva in mod miraculos peste noapte si ca reformele vor cere timp, pentru ca, loc este: "Ma tem ca este mult loc pentru a imbunatati managementul la nivel local, in mod special managenemntul financiar", a declarat domnia sa vrind, probabil, sa sublinieze ca nu s-a facut prea mare lucru pina acum. Presedintele Romano s-a referit, de asemenea, la programele de interes national care sint programe de reforma a institutiilor si de sprijinire a alternativelor pentru aceste institutii. Ar fi de mentionat un aspect la care s-a referit domnul Romano "ridicarea gradului de constientizare - am ezitat pentru ca nu am vrut sa jignesc - a societatii romanesti". Oare in momentul in care imaginea Romaniei este confundata cu cea a copiilor din orfelinate, cind toate televiziunile din lume au prezentat imagini terifiante din caminele de orfani, cind suntem conditionati de rezolvarea acestei probleme pentru a putea intra acolo unde ne este locul, se mai poate vorbi de o ridicare a gradului de constientizare? Oare putem cere societatii romanesti, spunind ca exista resurse, "... sa isi asume (problema) nu numai ca fiind si ca existind, ci sa-si asume alaturi de Guvern finantarea acestei probleme", cind peste 8 milioane de locuitori ai Romaniei traiesc sub limita pragului de saracie? Sigur ca da, dar trebuie tinut cont de faptul ca organizatiile non-guvernamentale, indispensabile in astfel de situatii, nu au suficienta putere sa faca acest lucru, ca nu au instrumentele necesare pentru a face ceea ce si-ar dori ! Si mai e ceva: au organismele de resort suficienta credibilitate in Romania pentru ca, sa spunem, un donator individual sa poata fi sigur ca banii nu ajung in alta parte, dupa atitea scandaluri privind neregularitatile in managementul financiar, la care insusi domnul Romano s-a referit?!Fotografii-scandal in Parlamentul EuropeiCea mai mare si neplacuta surpriza insa a audierilor de marti a oferit-o domnul Olivier Braunsteffer, secretarul general al Asociatiei SERA, care, in afara de expunerea situatiei - "Dupa 10 ani, situatia nu s-a schimbat fundamental,... exista orfelinate in care conditiile sint abominabile,... in care rata mortalitatii este nepermis de mare" - a prezentat "niste fotografii facute vinerea tercuta, nu pentru a propaga conditiile mizerabile pe care le-am putut constata si nici sa discreditam reprezentantii romani...", Fotografiile sunt, dupa cum ati putut vedea, inspaimintatoare, iar reactia doamnei Mariana Stoica, cea care a condus delegatia romana, a fost cvasiinstantanee la vederea acestora, intrebind unde si cind au fost facute. Raspunsul a venit imediat: la Caminul -spital Babeni, judetul Vilcea. Insa lucrurile nu s-au terminat aici, pentru ca, inainte de expunerea concluziilor doamnei Thors, domana Mariana Stoica a cerut din nou cuvintul si a spus: "... ca urmare a convorbirii telefonice avute de unul dintre colegii mei, domnul secretar de stat la de justitie, cu Babeniul, doresc sa subliniez urmatorul fapt: nu a fost nici o comisie la Babeni, unde SERA lucreaza de un an, si acum o saptamina nu a fost nici un fel de vizita in acest camin. Este informatia verificata de organele noastre, inclusiv cele de frontiera, prin urmare, din acest punct de vedere noi va suntem recunoscatori si va invitam sa veniti oricind in Romania, in orice conditii si cu orice comisii doriti, pentru a vedea care este starea de fapt a copiilor din institutiile noastre". Oare ce a vrut SERA, in momentul in care a prezentat aceste fotografii? Oricum, dupa reactia reprezentantului SERA la raspunsul doamnei Stoica este clar ca nu s-a asteptat la verificarea imediata a informatiei de catre partea romana: nu a mai avut nici un argument sau poate ca nu a scos asul din mineca! Oricum, acest lucru schimba jocul, pentru ca daca autoritatile romane au dreptate inseamna ca cineva incearca sa dezinformeze. De ce?Episodul "fotografiilor de la Caminul-spital Babeni" ne pune din nou intr-o situatie care, prin repetabilitate, devine mai mult decit stinjenitoare pentru prestigiul Romaniei. Ele au fost aduse ca proba - inca una - pentru ceea ce inseamna infernul din institutiile care se ocupa de ingrijirea copiilor orfani din Romania. Cei care le-au adus - membrii asociatiei franceze SERA - au reputatia ca stiu despre ce este vorba, mai ales ca presiunea enorma pe care o exercita de citva timp incoace asupra institutiilor romanesti si europene de profil se mai bucura si de un argument care face ca jocul sa fie si mai interesant, dar si ciudat: directorul de programme al acestei institutii, in Romania, nu este altul decit dl Cristian Tabacaru, fost secretar de stat in Guvernul Romaniei, al carui nume a fost adesea evocat in legatura cu multe dintre insucccesele notorii in managementul fondurilor alocate de comunitatea europeana in favoarea copiilor institutionalizati din tara noastra. Daca aceste fotografii sint reale, in sensul ca, asa cum s-a afirmat, au fost realizate doar cu citeva zile in urma, atunci situatia este foarte grava: inseamna ca, dincolo de vorbe frumoase nimeni nu a facut nimic pentru imbunatatirea situatiei, iar cei responsabili ar trebui sa dea socoteala.Dar daca, asa cum a afirmat doamna Mariana Stoica in cadrul audierilor de la Parlamentul European (dupa ce, timp de citeva ore, a fost in contact telefonic cu autoritatile de la Bucuresti), fotografiile sint mai vechi, atunci ne aflam in fata unei campanii de dezinformare grave care aduce atingere intereselor politice ale statului roman. Iar o asemenea actiune trebuie pedepsita ferm, clar, ca atare. Adresez, pe aceasta cale, un apel autoritatilor romane competente pentru a lamuri misterul "fotografiilor de la Babeni" si a le face publice. In acelasi timp, adresez si colegilor din presa romana un apel, rugindu-i sa reactioneze, stiind foarte bine care sunt, pe termen scurt, dar si intr-o perspectiva mai indelungata, efectele mai mult decit nocive ale implantarii unei asemenea imagini la nivelul opiniei publice mondiale.Cred ca, in sfirsit, Romania, macar pe acest subiect, ar trebui sa contraatace. (Cristian Unteanu, Diana Andrei - Bruxelles