A portrait of the new Prime Minister

Emil Boc comes as head of the Government from the Mayor office in the Transylvanian city of Cluj. Blocked during the mayor mandate of the far-right leader Gheorghe Funar, investments begun to pour in. Some say its just a contrast between the two mayors’ accomplishments, others say it’s exclusively Boc’s merit. Many accuse Boc of letting the city develop chaotically and of failing to put up a team of specialists in the City Hall.

Boc won the city hall in Cluj entering the race as an outsider: deputy at the time, Boc didn’t have the support or the financial power of his main counter-candidate, PSD local leader Ioan Rus. Still, Boc managed to rise above Funar in the first scrutiny, far behind Rus, and pulled an unexpected victory in the second scrutiny.

He won the second mandate as mayor with 76% of the votes.

Positive:

– He brought the economic and political life of the city back to normal, Cluj becoming an attraction for companies such as Nokia, Siemens and Emerson.

– He launched an inherited rehabilitation program including 288 streets, out of which 168 are already finished;

– Four marketplaces were modernized in the main residential areas of the city;

– Three parking buildings were built;

– Some residential buildings were built (379 apartments) and formalities for two new residential areas are signed;

– At the end of 2008, the pedestrian area of the „old city” was opened;

– The local budget was on an ascending trend all through his mandate;

Negative

– He was surrounded by suspect people, including the technical manager in the city hall, Sorin Apostu;

– He failed to put up a team of specialists, preferring to work with the inherited personnel and a few party members who were loyal, but not properly specialized for their jobs;

– He was often accused for not having a schedule for the city hall, his program including very often flight to Bucharest, where he acted as president of the Democrat – Liberal Party;

– He failed to cover the audience schedule, thousands of Cluj citizens waiting for years to discuss their problems;

– He was slow in taking decisions and did not delegate authority to unblock situations;

– He failed to attract substantial financing and didn’t put up any projects, although a specialized department existed;

– The Cluj belt motorway is absent, the traffic is stuck for hours at all exits and entries;