The Tragedy of Romania, Queen of Political Drama

If all the world's a stage, then the Globe Theatre for the new era must be Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania. The endless antics of many parliamentarians when it comes to public outings for President Traian Bãsescu contrasted against the soap opera-like dialog between Prime Minister Cãlin Popescu-Tãriceanu and seemingly every Democrat elected to any position past or present has all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy.

The honeymoon never lasts

After Ion Iliescu's seemingly endless terms of presidency (2.5 to 3 terms, depending upon who you're asking), the Social Democrats lost the presidential vote to the Justice and Truth Alliance which consisted of Democrats and Liberals. Later, after the presidential election was won by Bãsescu, the Conservatives joined the alliance in order to maintain a substantial voting power in Parliament against the Social Democrats and the Greater Romania Party. This only lasted until late 2006 when the Conservatives pulled up stakes due to problems between President Bãsescu and Conservative Party leader, Dan Voiculescu.

Despite the issues that bubbled up in the brew before Romania's accession to the European Union, Prime Minister Tãriceanu and President Bãsescu were able to keep most of the drama at bay, although foreshadowing of the future could be seen on the night of accession as the prime minister and president had separate public celebration parties. It all started back when the PM said he would resign and prompt early parliamentary elections, thought better of it, and stayed in office. Never mind the scandal of former Defense Minister Teodor Atanasiu (now head of the Authority for State Asset Recovery, or AVAS) speaking with British authorities regarding the withdrawal of Romania's troops from Iraq while the PM informed the president and American ambassador of this proposal, although the memo came post-chat with London. This is where a bucket of popcorn and your favorite drink start to come in handy.

Parliamentarians actually pay attention in session

The endless jokes and funnies published all over Romania - both on television and in print - regarding the generally uncaring attitude of parliamentarians toward the sessions going on (talking on their phone, voting for people who are not present at the session, falling asleep during voting, etc) was completely turned on its ear, if not turned into a circus, when on December 18th, 2006 before the Senate, President Bãsescu gave a speech for the condemnation of the Romanian communist regime as well as apologies to the Romanian citizens for hardships they endured. It sounds like your average post-communist day until you add Senator Corneliu Vadim Tudor of the Greater Romania Party and several of his party members into the equation.

Amid shouts of "thief" and "fleet dossier," which refers to when Bãsescu was the minister of Transportation and sold the Romanian naval fleet, there were also shouted accusations of the president being a member of the Securitate (Romanian secret police, formerly known as Departamentul Securitãþii Statului and akin to the Russian KGB) and paraded in front of the podium where the president was speaking regarding the Tismãneanu Report with a large banner which had the president's face behind bars with the words "Jail for Mafia Men" written across it.

Although the speech itself was barely heard, enough was broadcast to give adequate sound clips for posterity, although it sounds like Parliament was having Happy Hour in the background. Part of the speech made that day included, "As chief of the Romanian state, I explicitly and categorically condemn the Romanian Communist system beginning with its origin, as a dictatorship, between the years 1944 and 1947 until its collapse in December 1989. Citing the findings presented in the Report, I declare wholeheartedly that: the Communist regime in Romania has been illegitimate and criminal. By condemning the Romanian Communist system I stand by my admiration for the heroism of all those who have opposed this dictatorship, starting with the resistance fighters and the militants of the political parties destroyed by the Communists up to and including the dissidents and opponents of the Ceausescu era. I bring before this special united session of the Romanian Parliamentary Chambers homage to all great people of our state such as Iuliu Maniu, Ion Mihalache, Dinu Brãtianu ºi Ion Flueraº, the Churches' martyrs as well as Iuliu Hossu, Sandu Tudor, Vladimir Ghika, Richard Wurmbrand, Márton Áron, the members of the democratic parties of Romania, and all of the victims of the totalitarian Communist regime, opponents and dissidents. I would like to express my sincere admiration for the patriotic courage and the admiration of all survivors in Communist prisons who are the clearest evidence of our tragedy as a nation. Furthermore, I would like to eulogize the actions of the many intellectuals who had risen their voices against Nicolae Ceausescu such as: Paul Goma, Doina Cornea, Radu Filipescu, Mircea Dinescu, Dan Petrescu, Liviu Cangiopol, Gabriel Andreescu, or the desperate act, forgotten today, of Liviu Babeº who on March 2, 1989 had committed an act of self- immolation at the Bradu ski run, Poiana Braºov to protest against a criminal political regime. At the same time I express my compassion to the majority of Romanian people for the suffering they had to endure."

Parliament squares off against Cotroceni

Oh, happy day, Romania is a part of the European Union and is set to take the reigns of her future in 2007 to progress gracefully into endless EU blessings forevermore. That is, of course, until Parliament nominated President Bãsescu for impeachment for unconstitutional conduct including infringements on ministry and Parliament authority, committing acts of political partisanship and manipulating public opinion against state institutions such as the Parliament and others. The Constitutional Court did not find the president guilty of these charges, nevertheless Bãsescu found himself suspended from office on April 19th with 322 votes for the impeachment, 108 against and 8 abstentions. Despite having said that he would resign if suspended, the president instead stood in the middle of a pro- Bãsescu rally in Universitãþii Square stating he would not resign in order to minimize political instability.

The European Council's brightest hope in Romania, Justice Minister Monica Macovei, pushed a bit too hard against the old dogs of politics and was unceremoniously strung up verbally in the press throughout the years, but was finally dismissed by the PM along with every other minister that had ever considered being pro-Democrat or worked with the president on his goals; the reformist ministers. Due to this fiasco with the upheaval of the presidential seat as well as the changing of the guard in most of the ministries, the European election has been postponed until the autumn of 2007, if not later. This part of the story is not without its intrigues and name calling as the pro-Bãsescu camp has turned on the PM and anti-president coalition, labeling them the "black alliance."

So long and thanks for all the funds

With the president away, the prime minister did play, and due to so many new ministers and their ideas of what legislation should be pushed through, the European Commission (EC) is surely boggled and wondering if they should have given their newly-fledged child the keys to the Porsche. Heading directly south of what legislation the EU has in place, duty-free shopping opened back up on the country borders instead of staying within the confines of airports and other authorized centers. The taxes on second-hand cars continues to be debated, reworked, reconsidered and generally kicked around until, just maybe, the EC will get sick of it and stop caring or perhaps they'll just forget that Romania hasn't complied. Then again, there are the other 30 or more points of contention between Romania and the EU's governing body. Tudor Chiuariu, who replaced Macovei as the minister of Justice, said in his inauguration speech, "I care about the needs of the citizens, not about pleasing Brussels and getting nice phrases in monitoring reports."

If the reality of politics wasn't enough for the media mills, there are also whispers and rumors, one of which involves a letter sent by the EC to the Romanian government following a debate on Realitatea TV. Social Democrat vice president Victor Ponta mentioned a letter sent by European Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini where the EC member complains about the latest modifications to the National Integrity Agency law. Justice Minister Tudor Chiuariu, who was also participating in the debate, insisted that this letter was never sent, doesn't exist and the safeguard clause activation Ponta was 'doomsday-ing' about is nothing but an invention for political purposes. Ponta claims that President Bãsescu presented the letter during consultations with the political parties. The president's camp remains tight-lipped about this rumor, while Frattini's spokesperson said that the letter in question was not sent to the Romanian government. The National Integrity Agency law is supposed to govern the opening of an institution which will check the wealth of dignitaries, was adopted after several controversies and in its final draft, subordinated the agency under Parliament which caused discontent among European officials.

Despite the rising tension between Romania and the EU, tensions closer to home are not easing, either. Efforts that could, or even should, be going to the handling of funds and dodging of safeguard clauses which will likely be triggered with the rate in which Romania is conforming to the EU standards (a near-stand-still by almost all accounts), are instead going toward the government tearing its own belly out. The Democrats are busy attempting to pass a motion against Prime Minister Tãriceanu and his cabinet with 116 votes based on three points:

a) The government is without Parliamentarian and the population's support, as can be seen in the failed referendum for ousting Bãsescu.

b) The "Tãriceanu II" cabinet is the worst cabinet to have ever ruled Romania.

c) The lines of power must be more clearly drawn since the government currently represents 20% of the electorate.

Although the points may be clear as crystal, the process of getting this motion passed must be thick as tar because former Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur signed the motion twice, thus bringing the count of the needed 116 signatures down to 115. Flutur insists it was an honest mistake. Democrat president Emil Boc, however, reassured the press that they had all 116 signatures as one from far-right representative Nati Meir had been previously ignored. Until this is solved, who is keeping tabs on where the money from the EU is going? The media reports a decent absorption rate of EU funding, but where exactly is it being used or kept? Romania is, after all, the most corrupt European Union country according to Transparency International.

Act III, Scene II. Parliament Palace.

Enter Traian Bãsescu.

The reinstated President Bãsescu appeared before Parliament regarding early elections. If his plea for his people and their desires in the referendum was to move the opposition to action, it brought little more than neglect by all except Social Democrat leader Mircea Geoana who sat listening to the speech before him. "After consultation at Cotroceni Palace, I see that early elections regretfully do not represent a suitable solution for most parties. Such anti-electoral positions correspond directly to selected short-term interests. You must go back to the electorate or you have no right to govern," said the president to a seemingly-deaf or secretary-less Parliament who were busy using their free monthly mobile phone minutes, talking among each other, or laughing for the sake of disruption during the speech.

Alas! Poor Romania. I knew her, my country; a sister of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; she hath borne me on her back a thousand times; and now, where be your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning?