Romania’s President Seems to Have Come Around

The minister of Defense Teodor Atanasio resigned Wednesday. This was a relief to any one who cared for at least five minutes for the Romanian military, which in the post-communist years was at the top of the institutions the public trusted.

It was a resignation coming 22 months too late. It was a great mistake in the first place for the National Liberal Party, or PNL, to designate Atanasiu as its man for the job.

The liberals’ trade mark is to be good politicians, good business people, open-minded, with vision, and speakers of foreign languages.

Atanasiu did not fit the profile.

Some liberals admitted privately to be embarrassed with having sent Atanasiu for the defense office, but supported him just the same in his political squabble with President Traian Basescu.

Some say that PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu salso head of the PNL, trans. notet compromised, when he gave up the party’s defense portfolio Wednesday in exchange for Romania’s seat on the European Union Commission.

I, for one, believe that the PNL triumphed when it let Atanasiu go from the Defense Ministry.

I also believe it was a smart move of Tariceanu’s, which turned him into a player on the political scene, on a pair with the president.

The one-on-one talk Wednesday morning between Basescu and Tariceanu cleared the air.

Instead of the usual confrontation, we got a first instance, since the new government took office in 2004, when a meeting of the two leaders of the main coalition partners went well. sAlbeit Basescu is an informal leader of the Democrat Party, trans. notet.

Tariceanu and Basescu’s personal relationship risked reaching a point of no return and the inevitable divorce.

Abnormal, however, is the fact that fundamental decisions for the country were taken among three or four people only.

The consultation procedure inside the ruling coalition went out the window; when this happens, democracy soon follows it.

Liberal Varujan Vosganian will represent Romania in the EU Commission, not his own party and not the compromise Basescu and Tariceanu struck.

Political maneuvering took the front seat, and national interest was left behind Wednesday.

For all his attempts to portray it otherwise, Basescu is responsible for accepting Atanasiu to take over the defense office after winning the elections.

If Atanasiu was such a lame politician, why did Basescu accept him for the position? Why did Basescu not ask Tariceanu to nominate a different, more qualified person?

Nominating Sorin Frunzaverde for the defense portfolio in 2004, instead of October 20006, would have spared the military of its past trials during the politicians’ tribulations.

Basescu, it seems, finally came to his senses.

I hope it will last.