Public Opinion Hovers between the Ditch and the Slum

It was a long time since I had not seen such a lavish display of hysteria. But the elections last November refreshed that memory. We were presented with gossips for politicians, no names for analysts, and journalists which started to feverishly show their political sympathies with openly supporting them in the latest form of electoral propaganda.

Objectivity, balance, professionalism and ponder were replaced by hysteria. People with a civilized behavior up to the electoral campaign suddenly threw down the drain their civilized selves; analysts who mimed perfect independence keeping their lips tightly shut now started to be vocal; members of the civil society threw out the window their impartiality and started to castigate those who did not belong to their part of the political spectrum.

Thus we had the full display of ludicrous acts, of people performing like on a circus stage. It was utterly disgusting and both winners and losers in this electoral campaign should be ashamed of themselves.

As in times of crisis before, Romania showed once more how fragile its democracy is. State institutions showed many a time before to be virtually non-existent. But my expectations were for the public opinion to be live and well. I was wrong.
Public opinion hovers between the ditch and the slum, while walking the walk of our aimless transition. I believe that the past elections gave amply proofs of that and I also believe that it is up to the people elected in office to turn things around.
Or else, in times of crisis, the situation may turn unmanageable, as they did in the election of November and December 2004.