Controversial message from a former Minister of Education: “You can live better in Romania and Moldova than west of Budapest”

Daniel Funeriu, former Minister of Education, sparked a controversy by stating that at this moment, with the same effort, you can live better in Romania or the Republic of Moldova than west of Budapest. The former minister lives in France.

Daniel Funeriu, who lives in France, claimed that in Romania and the Republic of Moldova it is better to live economically, intellectually, culturally and medically than in the West.

“At this moment it is a fundamental mistake to leave Romania or the Republic of Moldova to move to the West.

With the same effort you can live better in Romania or the Republic of Moldova than west of Budapest. Economically, intellectually, culturally and, you’re going to laugh… medically.

Swear at me, criticize me, but you will soon realize that I am right,” Funeriu claimed on Facebook.

The post had nearly a hundred comments. Many of those who intervened in the discussion asked for data from the former minister.

“Facts (data-n)?” It seems to me a valid statement only from the point of view of the super, hyper, ultra, mega, extra, ober elites, but even there partially. And yes, possibly valid for the future ..but there are (still) unpredictable variables. Otherwise, false statement with tiny shades of truth. Health (birth, prevention, information, treatment of serious diseases) … oops, I haven’t seen Romania in front of me anywhere. Only when we turned the page on the top of infant mortality, % of covid deaths, serious illness mortality”..

From a cultural and economic point of view, Marius claims, we cannot compare ourselves to what is happening in the West, with certain nuances, he said.

“I await counter-arguments based on data”he concluded.

Funeral: “they say things for which there is no data yet”

Faced with several criticisms of this kind, Funeriu replied:

“When you read me you assume that I often say things for which there is no data YET. That is, I “see” them long before.

If you want data-driven trivia, read others or ask ChatGPT, don’t waste your time here: I assume that my readers can interpret the data themselves, they don’t need me to do that.”

Funeriu claimed that he was based on intuition and, for example, regarding the phenomenon of plagiarism in the Romanian academic world, he was right, even if he had no data in this regard.

“The fact that “it works for me” is illustrated, for example, by the fact that I initiated the anti-plagiarism crusade when there were exactly zero data on the size of plagiarism in Romania. But I felt the thing“, he concluded.

“Not medical…and I’m not laughing at all”

The former minister’s statement sparked discussions, especially in the medical field.

Marius, who works in the medical system in Romania, replied: “Not medical…and I’m not laughing at all. Here we are badly behind (I say this from within the medical system).”

Funeriu replied: “it depends what you’re comparing.”

Şerban intervened: “We compare the medical systems: that of Romania with those of Western Europe! What are you comparing?”

Marius came back with explanations: “there are some “peaks”, i.e. cores of medical performance, but the general level is pathetic. I am struck daily by the lack of medical competence.”

Vlad intervened with a message for Marius: “You probably don’t know what a catastrophe is in Berlin. Or with the NHS (UK National Health System-no)”.

“I know what the level is there too. I have colleagues all over Europe… I still walk around, I still talk with them“, replied Marius.

“I fled Berlin for two reasons: the aggression of the Arabs and the medical system”

Vlad made an inventory of the differences between the health systems of some European countries:
“of the countries I’ve lived in, the system in Switzerland is spectacularly good (but it costs you accordingly), the state system in Portugal is surprisingly good for how relatively poor the country is. In Sweden and the UK you wait months for an appointment with a specialist or an MRI, the forums of Romanians in the UK are full of messages from Romanians who come to Romania to have an MRI (in the private system, obviously, because they don’t have access to the state one) “.

Vlad claims that he fled Berlin for two reasons: the omnipresent aggression of the Arabs and the medical system on the ground. “Between the Berlin one and the Bucharest state one, I would choose Bucharest without blinking an eye; this is not to say that in Bucharest you also have the private system at your disposal when you belong to the middle class and can afford it. What I say probably doesn’t apply to rare diseases; if you can enter a study at the Charite hospital, for example, surely Berlin is better. But for most diseases and treatments, even for nasty and potentially fatal diseases, Bucharest as a state is much better than Berlin. Unfortunately I have experience with both“, he added.

“How did I escape? I called Romania and they sent me medicine from there”

Simona had the opportunity to deal, as a patient, with the English health system and the system in Spain: “I’m not saying they don’t have performance centers and equipment and all that. I’m just saying that you can die for days there from trivial problems. For example, they sent me from the reception even though I had the N1H1 flu, with a fever of 40, over which I got pneumonia, I barely crawled to the hospital. They said that if I could get there, I don’t need a medical check-up. Receptionists, not a nurse or even a nurse. How did I escape? I called Romania and they sent me medicine from there”.

Simona claims that such a thing does not happen in Romania: “And if you wait 10 hours, in the end a doctor still sees you and tries to help you somehow. There is no point in mentioning US and UK. The system in the UK guarantees that from the first symptoms to the control of a specialist it takes “only” 16 weeks. A more aggressive melanoma kind of moves you into the shadow world in 6 weeks.”

Marius returned with an answer for Simona: “Okay. I do not contradict you. It’s just that I know the system INSIDE. I also know what is happening in Europe. It is well known that Romanian emigration, at the present time, is predominantly composed of citizens fleeing education and especially health in Romania (it is no longer an economic migration, but a civilizational one).”

“And in the West does the doctor send you to buy your own medicine outside the hospital?”

Mădălina brought up the situation of Romanians who live in the countryside and do not have a car, it is very difficult to get to the tests, because there are no means of transport to connect with the cities. “Go to the county hospitals to hear how uncivilized human the staff is. Easier because “it’s the same way”. Only a few live the same way, mostly in cities. The wording is deeply flawed. You cannot say that the Romanian teacher’s status in society is the same as one from Finland or Sweden!”Mădălina said.

“I have reservations about the medical field. Otherwise, the numbers prove you right”added Lucian.

“I’m sorry but this time I can’t agree with you! Since I am also a German citizen, I know very well the healthcare system in GERMANY which is indisputably superior to the one in ROMANIA from all points of view: administration, functionality, efficiency. And GERMANY is not the only example of best practices, …!“, claimed Sabin.

“You mean even in the West the doctor sends you to buy your own medicine outside the hospital?”commented Florentina.

“There is also the safety factor”

“Economically, culturally it will be like that, but there is also the safety factor. In the Republic of Moldova, I would not feel nearly as safe as in a NATO country”claims Mihai.

Mariana thinks it’s an inappropriate time to live near the war in Ukraine. “At this moment when Ukraine is once again having a hard time with criminals, it is utter stupidity to stay near an area of ​​intense conflict and cast your vote, at home or abroad for the red/yellow plague (…) It is absolutely dramatic what is happening there and it has a significantly major impact in Romania and Poland”, it claims. She believes that the political environment in Romania will not change significantly in the next 4/5 years.

Marius believes that in the long term, the area will not be safe: “Only if you think short term and don’t think about your family. You live better, but your children, your grandchildren have all the chances to be wiped off the face of the earth… this is something understood by those who read and understand history”.

Stefan claims that “in the Republic of Moldova, half of the population is zombified and can go on meaningless rebellions for a kilogram of buckwheat from the Russian services. If the three and a half Soviet tanks from Transnistria attack us, the parliament will capitulate to you via SMS in 15 minutes, because we don’t even have drones, with which the Ukrainians are keeping themselves on the front in the absence of American ammunition. I don’t recommend anyone to live here, until we have a NATO shield or at least until the French come to Odessa and bring a Patriot with them.”

He also sees a complicated situation in the future: “No culture and intellectuality and not even economy would save us in Bessarabia with russkii mir (Russian world-no) infiltrated in the marrow. And we don’t even have them. We are poorer than the Albanians.”

“For professions with higher education yes”

Many of those who commented agree with the former minister.
“Perfectly right! Usual”claimed Ciprian.

“Yes, that’s right, I had work with two people, tradesmen, one had come from Spain, after 7 years, the other from France, after 6 years; they both confirmed that now it’s better here, they earn better, that they are also with their families”Ion intervened.

Alina partially corrects Funeriu: “For professions with higher education, yes, if you are willing to work hard, you definitely do it better than in many western countries, but for people who work for the minimum on the economy, I don’t think things are the same. The medical system in terms of primary and outpatient medicine (be it private) is 5 classes above the west and I speak from experience here. But you don’t want a complicated surgical intervention or a prolonged hospitalization in Romania, not even in renowned hospitals”.

“If it’s about Romania’s relative advantage, it’s not even something particularly noticeable – the trend is clear (with data) in all fields, with the possible exception of education”claimed Vlad.