The Social Democrat Party, In Opposition, Should Act Accordingly

The past 18-month in Romanian politics brought about an undeniable reality: the country has no acting opposition.
The two major parties in the four-party ruling coalition - the National Liberal Party and the Democrat Party - are the main contenders encroached into endless political bickering.

The past 18-month in Romanian politics brought about an undeniable reality: the country has no acting opposition.

The two major parties in the four-party ruling coalition - the National Liberal Party and the Democrat Party - are the main contenders encroached into endless political bickering.

And President Traian Basescu acts like a "one man show." Whatever he does becomes instant news, the media converging on him as if he were the only star of the current administration.

The political opposition watered down to the point of endangering what a working democracy stands for.

The main opposition party - the Social Democrat Party, or PSD - was associated in the past months with news having to do with the prosecutors’ investigation of its leaders for corruption.

And the party seems to be overwhelmed by the events unfolding, to the point of reaching rock bottom. It may be that the party needs to go to its lowest in public polls in order to climb back by the time of the general elections in 2008.

However, I do believe it is high time for the PSD to end its voluntary vacationing from the political scene and step back into the limelight.

PSD president Mircea Geoana holds a huge responsibility on this. He should work constantly to snap PSD out of its lethargic status; else the party would not only lose in polls but also in the next elections.

The center-right coalition makes its fair share of mistakes while running the country, which means is high time for a political entity to point those out. Opposing the government mistakes should not be a job for the media alone.

The parties now in office had the media on their side when actively opposing the PSD during its 2000-2004 government.

The PSD should start filling those shoes.

After all, Basescu himself was under prosecutors’ investigation for a good number of years, during the PSD led governments. Who would have thought back then that he will climb back to the helm and place himself at the center of Romania’s politics?!

It happened in 2004. The PSD should take notes on that.

Translated by Anca Paduraru