Romania

Name and Surname: Andrei Loghin

Age: 25

Country: Hungary

Nationality: Romanian

City: Budapest

CURRENT EVENTS:

1. Which is the form of government ruling in your country?

First of all, I would like to mention that I think of Romania as my country, although I am living in Hungary at the moment. The form of government is semi-presidential republic.

2. Do you belive corruption exist in your country? How much do you think it influences political life and your private life?

It exists, as it does in all countries to different extents. I wouldn’t say corruption is rampant – maybe not to the level that it is in African countries let’s say, but Romania is not known as a corruption-free country. I can imagine political life is greatly affected by corruption. As for my private life, I think the effect is minimal, or unknown by the public in general at least.

3. Do you considere yourself European? [For non-European people: could you explain why you chose Europe?]

I do. I share the mindset of most Europeans, I believe. We love our diversity and sense of belonging, while holding on to our own uniqueness, that of each separate nation. We love Europe as a whole, although we sometimes hate on each other as different peoples. Nevertheless, it’s togetherness and diversity that keep us going as Europeans.

CULTURE:

1. Which is your national language? Do dialects exist in your country? If they do, are they used/known by young people?

Romanian. There are very few regional dialects, born out of geographical separation and mixture with other cultures. Young people speak in dialects too, just like most people who love in those regions.

1. Who do you consider to be the cultural icon of your country?

This is a tough one. I think, for better or for worse, that we can be proud to call Dracula our own. The real historical figure, Vlad Tepes, I think was even more interesting than the fictional character based on him.

3. Are you able to name a person that you consider symbolic for European culture? [For non-Europena people: do you perceive the existence of a “European culture”?]

Oh, wow. This is an even tougher question. I don’t generally think of ONE single European culture, as a whole, but I guess the first people that pop into my mind are da Vinci, Beethoven, and the like. Although I think most outsiders would think of Angela Merkel or Conchita Wurst nowadays first.