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| THE ROMANIAN ARMY ACTIVITY REPORT 9/04/2008 |
| (2008-04-09) |
| Last updated: 2008-04-10 19:48 EET |
Given that the NATO summit hosted by the Romanian capital Bucharest last week was a success in terms of organisation, we would have expected to see more enthusiasm at the presentation of the Romanian Army’s annual activity report. Still, its supreme commander, president Traian Basescu, was visibly unhappy with the state of the Romanian Army. He was rather annoyed by the fact that the Ministry had not yet enforced the decision made by Romania’s Supreme Defence Council – the CSAT - with regard to resizing the army staff, mainly by downsizing the higher officers corps, well paid but with uncertain responsibilities, who account for 8% of the total staff.
Of them 86 are active generals, though the CSAT had requested that the only bearer of that rank remained the Chief of Staff. Basescu also called on the Government to solve the issue of the salaries of the Romanian military deployed abroad. Though higher than those of their brothers in arms at home, their salaries get smaller by the day, because they are paid in US Dollars. This would be a first decent measure in the past months’ the president sharply stated, hinting at the end of the Cabinet’s term in office:
"We can no longer tolerate these innocent reports, presented in total relaxation, which show a certain degree of disinterest in the matter, that the acquisition program was again not achieved."
A diplomat by trade, Liberal Defence Minister Teodor Melescanu chose to read between the lines and interpret the president’s criticism as an urge to the government to allocate more money to the army. Last year, he said, the Defence Ministry concluded the purchase of 7 cargo aircraft and 32 armoured vehicles. Also in 2008 the government already initiated a draft government decision aimed at increasing the salaries of military deployed in theatres of operation abroad, using the European currency. Therefore, under-officers and soldiers might get 100 Euro per day, while officers would get 120 Euro. Moreover, Melescanu also promised that:
"Rendering the army more operational, properly establishing training levels, completing the strategic background and maintaining the international commitments made in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans remain issues of top interest.”
The latter issue mentioned by the Defence Minister was no longer a matter of discontent between the president and the government, which in 2006 was hoping to get electoral dividends by impetuously announcing the withdrawal from Iraq. The troops stayed where they were and at the summit the allies acknowledged Romania’s contribution to the international fight against terrorism. 1405 Romanian military participated last year in international missions. 2 of them have been killed and 20 wounded in the line of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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2025-04-03
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