Civis romanus sum

During the glorious days of the ancient Rome, when a citizen of the empire traveling around the world was facing a threat of some kind, he only had to say: “Civis Romanus sum” (I am a Roman citizen) and the trouble disappeared. The potential enemy stepped back when hearing these words and the citizen was protected against any threat. This was because of the respect of the people for Rome and this wasn’t caused only by the physical power of Rome, but by the belief that the government of those people was a clear representation of their will and of an unquestionable protective unity. It wasn’t just the reality of the Roman force that asked for respect, but the prestige of the symbols that synthesized the grandness of the Roman order as well.

During the glorious days of the ancient Rome, when a citizen of the empire traveling around the world was facing a threat of some kind, he only had to say: “Civis Romanus sum” (I am a Roman citizen) and the trouble disappeared. The potential enemy stepped back when hearing these words and the citizen was protected against any threat. This was because of the respect of the people for Rome and this wasn’t caused only by the physical power of Rome, but by the belief that the government of those people was a clear representation of their will and of an unquestionable protective unity. It wasn’t just the reality of the Roman force that asked for respect, but the prestige of the symbols that synthesized the grandness of the Roman order as well.

Today, when the unworthy descendants of Rome unleashed themselves against its poor descendants on the Danube sides, the protection that the prestige of Romania offers doesn’t protect its citizens from the Italians’ xenophobia. Romania has a strategic partnership with Italy. Is this the way in which a state should behave with the other partner state? Romania and Italy are both members of the EU and NATO. Is this the way allies behave?! President Basescu is member of the same political family as PM Berlusconi and takes part in the reunions of the People’s European Party. Doesn’t Mr. Berlusconi care about the fact that Basescu would reproach these things to him with the occasion of the next summit? The Romanian citizens are European citizens now and the EU laws regarding the freedom to travel and non-discrimination therefore defend them. Isn’t the Italian Government nervous at the thought that they will have to deal with the entire Europe if they kick out the Romanians?! Bucharest has special partnerships with Washington, Paris, Budapest and Warsaw. Isn’t Rome afraid of the fact that the great Euro-Atlantic capitals will defend the Romanian ally due to clear racism acts?! The answer is NO! This is not the way the allies behave with one another, but no one cares about the Romanian ally.

Why? Could it be because Romania doesn’t matter? The seventh greatest country in Europe cannot be ignored. If the almost 1 million Romanians that work in Italy leave, the Italian economy will have to suffer. If they come back to Romania and cause unwanted tensions, the limit of the Euro-Atlantic border with the Middle East would tear apart.

There is no doubt that the problem of personal safety in the case of the Italians in their own country is real. However, this happens mainly because the Italian state doesn’t take care of the social-cultural integration of the non-Italians as well as of stopping the corruption. The Romanian criminality is just a small example in this context and a stronger authority and coherence from the state is not solved by taking police measures. This is why the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs shouldn‘t have went to Rome since it showed that the Romanians were a special case that needed more police attention, but not more social protection.

How come that the Romanians are the main issue for the Italian authorities and press? The electoral populist demagogy or the racist neo-fascist rhetoric in Italy have reached to the Romanians as the ideal scapegoat because Romania is the only member of the EU and NATO that is not respected or feared. It is not respected because the Romanian leaders, especially President Traian Basescu, its symbol, are despised. It is not feared because the international behavior of Romania has brought the country in the situation in which it doesn’t have any allies even if it is a member of the greatest alliances in the world. This is the only possible explanation! The Romanians pay for their President and he states he had collaborated well with the PM as far as the external affairs are concerned now that he feels the moment of truth is near.

Romania will be safe only in the moment in which any Romanian citizen will know that the caring eye of the country will watch on him and defend him against any illegality no matter the European state he will be. Things don’t have to happen this way! The President has to be held responsible!