Romania borders a few countries, the most important borders are with Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Hungary. Now, many Romanians consider Moldova a cultural extension of Romania, so we’ll cut that out. Bulgaria and Serbia don’t have many expats, and Ukraine’s newspapers are mostly filled with events there. Also, the alphabet might be a bit difficult for Westerners to understand.
But sometimes, you might find interesting information about what is going on in Romania (and Cluj) from its other neighbour, Hungary. A Hungarian expat newspaper told us that there would be a new Trump towers in Cluj (they spelled the town name a little differently, but we think they meant Cluj.)
In any case, when we checked the Romanian news sources, we found the source of the information. It was the New York Times. Apparently, these plans are “unannounced.” In other words, it is most likely fake news.
It is sad really. There was a time when the New York Times could be relied upon for factual information. However, now they seem to make things up just to get attention.
Allegedly, the golf course would be by the Pata Rat neighbourhood. Yes, the poor neighbourhood where illegal dumping has been going on.
If it were true, the Trumps might be able to sue for breach of privacy. If it were false, well, it is hard to sue for libel. I mean, it might be a good spot for a golf course, if it could be cleaned up and made safe.
This leads us to question other recent stories in the New York Times. But most of those do not deal directly with Cluj. We can research those another day. Let’s not get sidetracked.
The more complete story on Stirile protv goes beyond the alleged building development. We see some elements that must be taken from the New York Times article (like the idea that Transylvania is the origin of the Dracula myth. While that theoretically may be a motive for building a resort here, Transylvania is a large region, and Cluj is the most expensive part of that region, and…) We also see some things that, well, are more interesting to people who actually live here.
Protv describes Cluj as, “oraşul românesc Cluj, care fusese afectat de corupţia guvernamentală.”
“The Romanian city of Cluj, which has been affected by government corruption.”
Okay, so will the 30 story building become a reality? Will there really be a golf course? Allegedly, there were other plans for such a building in Serbia, but they were cancelled due to governmental problems.
The story suggests that a team of scouts plans to visit Cluj, to perhaps see how feasible it is, maybe whether the locals approve and how well it is suited for such a project.
We also see indications that a shell company has already been created in Romania. And, allegedly, someone has applied for planning permission. Maybe it is more than a rumor.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fs43G2pUlOo%3Fsi%3DDYQzLCltMrly1jg6%26amp%3Bstart%3D650