Countbat,
Thank you for the history lesson, 90 percent and the idea behind it - very correct.
One little thing though.. Romania is not run by gipsies, that is untrue. It is run by Romanians, by all means. The regions where gipsies are a majority are scarce. Population of Romania is about 22 milion, out of which, the minorities are spread as follows:
aprox 6.6% Hungarians, 2.5% gipsies and under 0.5% of other nationalities like Germans, Turks, Ucranians, etc.
Yes, gipsies are a big problem, because they are not civilised by any means and the former communist regime did a bad job regarding them as you correctly said in your post. On the other part, we are in the EU and it would be hard, impossible and politically incorect to send them all to where they came from hundreds of years ago. (although many many would like that very much indeed)
You are welcome. I just spent some time in that country with my wife while she was doing some charity work. I tried to make the best of it. Now, if gypsies are more than 2 millions, that make'em 10%, if we consider country's population 22 millions.
During my period there I tried to understand the non senses going on, the lack of local culture and intensive imitation of what's understood of western culture special American, extremely poverty among ordinary people, extremely over night rich few, bad manners and everybody's tendency to get something out of you, lack of work ethics. The only viable explanation I was able to get was from some very nice locals who explained to me what I posted earlier. They told me the real locals have been marginalized and the country is run by foreigners, special urbanized gypsies. Although they don't look anymore like traditional gypsy image, they are the ones robbing the country dry, impoverishes the locals, creating the Mafia and politicians. If I am wrong I apologize.
However I know 3 American investors friends who lost all their money in Romania to local habits. When someone is asking me how good of idea is to invest in that country I always say NO, if they care for their money. Personally I tried to start an historic project north of the country where V Legio Macedonica was stationed but I was stopped and asked for extremely outrages high bribes for something which they would have benefited anyway.
I also strongly believe UE is wrong giving money to that country because everything is, like I said, derailed to few mafia and politicians pockets. Sorry for locals. They don't deserve this.