The Economist tackles Romania’s mix of religion and politics

Newsroom 11/06/2012 | 13:41

The way religion and politics mix in Romania is the subject of a recent post on the Eastern Approaches blog of The Economist. According to The Economist, municipal leaders in Romania“are receiving help from an unexpected place”- the church. “Romanian media recently revealed that in some churches in Bucharest and other cities around the country, churchgoers found campaign leaflets next to candles and incense envelopes.”

Furthermore, some Romanian politicians such as PM Victor Ponta and Viorel Hrebenciuc, a well-known Social Democrat MP, are named in the publication as using the church for political interest because “The Orthodox Church is the most trusted institution inRomania, according to official polls. The Church claims to have around 18 million followers in Romania, which accounts for over 80 percent of the total population.”

The international publication also presents some facts and figures about the National Cathedral of Redemption, described as “a gigantic luxurious church, currently being built in Bucharest at a cost initially evaluated by the Church itself at EUR 400 million (USD 503 million). Besides that, the government has donated 11 hectares of land for the project worth around EUR 200 million.”