The President Hits Again

The SCCD meeting on Monday, the 28th of August 2006, brought two surprises...

The SCCD meeting on Monday, the 28th of August 2006, brought two surprises:

a) the decision not to send troops in Lebanon. Judging by the previous statements of Traian Basescu, all the Romanians were expecting the President to be a bitter supporter of the military operation in Lebanon, as far as the Romanian troops are concerned. The ones that are a little aware of the background of his disputes with NLP (the National Liberal Party) were supposing the President would go all out to appear as a wise man. The refusal regarding the withdrawal of the troops in Iraq had the risk of transforming him into a puppet for the Americans, ready to sacrifice anything to please the Great Glow-Worm. Traian Basescu presented his reasons in front of the public opinion in such a way that he made it almost impossible for him to seen that way. The President is a mature leader who cares about the financial burden caused by our presence on the foreign battlefields, the Romanians might have thought. Why did he refuse the withdrawal of the troops in Iraq? Because this matter involves the state in ways only he knows! Traian Basescu used yesterday’s SCCD (the Supreme Council for the Country Defense) decision to score against NLP once again.

b) the CSSD decision to make public the Security files of the high hierarchs and of the religious cults’ leaders, which were part of the national security files.

Like in the case of the decision on the 24th of July 2006, Traian Basescu did not answer to the legit question: what’s wrong with him? In the absence of the answer, many people are amazed by the SCCD decision. Their legit amazement can be easily clarified: we only have to remind that, on the 25th of August, in Mamaia, the Minister of Culture and Cults, Adrian Iorgulescu, asked for the disclosure of the high hierarchs and of the religious cults’ leaders. He started the theory according to which many priests sent the information heard during the confessions to the Security. The speculative statement of Adrian Iorgulescu made the high hierarchs of the Orthodox Church mad. Adrian Iorgulescu has been the target of several attacks from the Orthodox Church since Friday. However, Adrian Iorgulescu isn’t just the Minister of Culture and Cults. He is also a doughty NLP leader. Moreover, he is also a doughty leader of the Tariceanu-Patriciu group in NLP. The issue regarding the disclosure of the clergy files is a very controversial one. Many important politicians have delayed any plea for their disclosure. There were at least two reasons for that:

Some hierarchs collaborated with the Security due to the atheistic persecution during the communist regime, especially during the Stalinist period. The archives could offer great surprises to the orthodox. Because of this, the disclosure might be seen as hostile.

Judging by the attacks against Adrian Iorgulescu, it is highly possible for the people, together with the hierarchs, to turn against the party of Adrian Iorgulescu. The party is NLP of course.

The fact that Traian Basescu hurried to suggest CNSAS (the National Council for the Study of the State Archives) to take into account the position of the Church during the communist regime, is more than interesting.

He added he didn’t want to influence the activity of CNSAS. Could Traian Basescu have started to care about the terms of the Constitution? No way. The great problem that will occur with the disclosure of the files of the high hierarchs doesn’t refer to the possible verdicts indicating the Political police activity. Like in the case of the stars of politics, the great problem will regard the impact on the public opinion. This is why Traian Basescu didn’t approach CNSAS but the clergy and the orthodox. The disclosure will lead to an increase in the hostility of the clergy and of the orthodox people towards such a measure. With his speech, Traian Basescu let it fall that he takes into account the different situation of the Church during the atheistic persecution. Why did he go for the disclosure actually? Because the liberals asked for it. The liberals risk to be regarded with hostility by the Orthodox Church, which has a tremendous power in Romania. The conclusion comes itself: the great strategy of Traian Basescu made the disclosure of the Security files bring another rupture between NLP and an important part of the electorate.