Having lived and worked in third world countries, I wouldn't say that Romania is third world; however, I wouldn't say that Romania's first world either. I believe that Romania is solidly second world.
They have issues that have carried over since communism, like lack of caring for public facilities, passing the buck and not wanting to do any work, and not paying the bus fare. Museums lack AC and benches, and toilets are in desperate need of toilet paper, soap, and water. However, there are also good things.
When I went to Romania, it was the height of summer and I was about 6 months pregnant. The good thing was that the city of Bucharest has erected tents that had AC, a cot, and free water. There were a couple people manning the tents as well in case you needed medical attention due to the heat. I think that was my favourite thing; it showed that Romania is slowly moving towards first world status.
The parks are also great and safe as well. Although Romania has a bad rep for its stray dogs, people really care for them and give them food and water. They're also a heck of a lot cleaner than the ones I've seen in Peru.
Romanians, especially the younger generation, are very smart and speak a smattering of languages. They're quick to help you out as well. So while now Romania is second world, I hope in the future, it moves towards first world status.
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