Man, what a day! On one hand, we've got an interim minister who's actually getting stuff done; on the other, the Israelis want to torch all of Lebanon. Let's take it one step at a time, 'cause this ain't no joke.
So, Radu Miruță - the guy Bolojan put in charge of Transport - came in and said: "That's it, bro, no more metro ticket price hike!" Yep, he permanently canceled that increase from 5 to 7 lei that was supposed to kick in on July 1st. And not just that - he sent the Control Body to Metrorex and demanded they recover tens of millions of euros in late penalties from all sorts of companies. "I've closed the subject," he said. Now, if any minister tries to bring back the hike, they've got a fight on their hands - he also revoked both the ministerial order and the Metrorex Board of Administration's decision. Now that's what I'm talking about! Seems fair to me.
But he didn't stop there. He rejected the budgets for Tarom, CFR Infrastructure, and CFR Călători. He said: "They're built on unrealistic data." At Tarom, for instance, ticket revenues were estimated at 63%, but the reality is 66%. And they set fuel prices at $950 per ton, when the real price is $1,400. Man, that's crazy! Who makes these budgets? At CNAIR, they wanted to hire 500 people, 126 of them in Bucharest. CFR Infrastructure first came with a major loss, and after he said "no," they reduced it. CFR Călători is still being worked on. Let's be serious, it's like we're living in a joke of a country.
And now, let's move on to the really hot stuff - the Middle East. Four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, and all hell broke loose. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said "all of Lebanon must burn." Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wants "the gates of hell opened," and opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman demands a "heavy toll." Man, those are some words! And all this against the backdrop of a US-Iran deal, which the Israelis see as a threat. A poll shows 63% of Israelis are worried about the future after this deal. I don't know, but I think we'd feel the same if they dragged us into trouble.
And Trump, the big mouth, praised Netanyahu, calling him a "warrior prime minister." Right after the ceasefire with Hezbollah was extended. Trump threatens Iran with military action if they don't stick to the deal. Vice President JD Vance warned the Israelis not to attack their only major ally - the US. And the Washington Post writes that US intelligence believes Netanyahu might launch new attacks in Lebanon, which would ruin the peace with Iran.
Well, bro, what can I say? On one hand, we've got a minister cleaning house; on the other, the world's on fire. I'm gonna go explain to Mioara that since the metro isn't getting more expensive, maybe we'll have some cash left for a shawarma on Friday night. 'Cause with all these price hikes, I don't know how much longer we can hold out.
