The Good Guys

During the past weekend, Traian Băsescu started the electoral campaign. Far from the country, but not from the political habits that we got used to.

During the past weekend, Traian Băsescu started the electoral campaign. Far from the country, but not from the political habits that we got used to. In fact, things are as always when it comes to Basescu, which is unclear. At first, the President was irritated by the idea that the events in Spain would have been politicized in favor of PD-L and said it all came from a hateful media group. A day later, the President recognized that the event was politized. What happened in the meantime?

I probably witnessed a new humiliation of the President of honor of PD-L. Remember? One month ago, Traian Băsescu declare humiliated by the decision of PD-L to collaborate with the PRM. The agreement in the Senate would have been done not only without his knowledge, but also against him. Could the party of Mr. Boc have sent MEPs, flags, neckwear and records with its anthem in Spain, without the head of state to know about it? With the intention of putting him in an embarrassing situation again? Sure, Traian Băsescu seemed to be ok in that big orange sea around him, he didn’t protest at all. But, perhaps, the President was in a dream, maybe he thought that, for a few hours, he got back in time, in 2004, when he was hand in hand with Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu and Mona Musca, while Stolojan sat in his bed and took care of his health. Hard to know.

Beyond all that, the presidential speech for the Romanians who do not live in Romania was full of "electorality”. It was as if the President himself placed a bet on his mandate. Traian Băsescu heard those people complaining about the consular services and promised that those incompetent diplomats would be changed after the elections. Not now. Only if the Romanians vote right, so Mr Basescu would have the authority to order the system. If we vote his men.

The meeting in Spain followed the usual pattern. The head of the country criticizes abroad the Romanian Government and the dignitaries of his own country. In order to collect a few votes for the PD-L, he affects the image of Romania.

In a fully global economic crisis, in the face of certain unpredictable financial developments, Traian Băsescu seemed, however, generous with a budget that does not depend on him. For the Romanians outside, we are spending too little! It's a shame! The message was again very clear. If the power goes in the right place, the budget for these communities will increase.

Sure, this issue deserves a careful discussion directly proportional to the size of these communities. But it would have been expected from the head of state, in a difficult economic time, to talk more about responsibility and austerity. To give an example when there is a risk for the public money to become an electoral expense instead of being the basis of a national responsible and lasting development. Unfortunately, in Spain, the President behaved as a candidate willing to push all the buttons to get the required number of votes. Do you remember the last week’s column in which I analyzed the theory and practice of the crowd dive? This is what the President did in Spain. An electoral dive.

It was only the beginning. In the coming weeks, the head of state will walk his impartiality on all the screens, in cities and villages, in official statements and replies which will directly and fully support the positions of PD-L and will try to weaken the positions of the adversaries. We are in front of a match in which the referee is the twelfth player of one of the teams.

Although it was theoretically one of the main promoters of the uninominal vote, Traian Băsescu pleads for a list now. His list. Never mind the ability of someone to represent a certain community. The "good guys" are the only ones that matter, because they are next to the President, and the "bad guys" only want to block him. If such an idea is successful, a possible step forward in terms of political empowerment will become once again a national skating rink in which we will all run in a circle, one after another, waiting, again, useless, for highways that refuse to be born.

P.S. It appears that instead of the axis Bucharest - London - Washington - that Basescu used to speak about - another axis appears: Washington - London - Bucharest, at least from the financial point of view!