Bucharest, Romania
Romanian President Traian Basescu apologized this week for calling a reporter a “stinky Gypsy.” The reporter, Andreea Pana, cornered Basescu in a supermarket last week and asked him about the vote taking place that day on whether to impeach him for alleged constitutional abuses. Basescu snatched Pana’s cell phone, which she was using to film the interview. After the device was returned hours later, Pana discovered it had recorded a later conversation between Basescu and his wife, in which he let fly with racist insults against the journalist. Basescu easily survived the impeachment attempt. Gypsy activists have begun wearing T–shirts that say “Stinky Gypsy.” Gypsies are an ethnic minority who generally prefer to be known as Roma, but lately they have been embracing the name they once regarded as a slur.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Google: A monopoly past its prime?Feature Google’s antitrust case ends with a slap on the wrist as courts struggle to keep up with the tech industry’s rapid changes
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacyFeature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
