At the end of this week, we will enter the most absurd electoral campaign of the last 3 decades. The main source of absurdity lies in the word „merging,” on multiple levels.
1. Merging the European Parliament elections with the local elections
Initially, it made sense on two levels, but very little of it was confirmed by reality, unforeseen adverse effects emerged, and now the merging of the elections remains like an aborted attempt.
The first reason was to put AUR in difficulty, as they were counting on the sovereigntist political vote in the European elections, but were completely unprepared for the local elections at this time. This aspect worked, as I have already shown.
However, the local elections, with their incomparably greater importance for Romanians, not only overshadowed the European elections but completely suffocated them.
At this moment, and it is unlikely to change anything by June 9, Romania is not discussing anything related to European issues that should guide our vote in this election.
Once again, Romania assumes the role of not being part of the solutions and decisions, but merely the last frustrated and confused car of the train.
The second reason for this merging was to mark the first milestone of a much broader project in which the two coalition parties would advance together in the presidential and parliamentary elections.
In the plan, presented with great pomp by the two party presidents in March, the presidential elections were supposed to be moved to September, the two parties were to have a common candidate who would win, and then, with all its electoral weight, be the locomotive for the parliamentary elections, where PSD and PNL would have entirely common lists.
The project fell apart in Bucharest, the PSD-PNL union was broken, talks are underway about moving the presidential elections back to their place, AUR is in turmoil, so the merging of the European and local elections remains just a political oddity.
2. Merging the PNL - PSD lists in the European elections and in a few key points in the local elections.
As I was saying, it was supposed to be the pilot episode of the common electoral construction for the year 2024.
Someone had the impression that two electorates could be treated like herds and driven towards a common sauvan. Two electorates that traditionally have been at odds, were called to vote against each other, and with great difficulty swallowed the governing coalition.
And it's not just about the parties, but also about the organizations of the two parties that were forced into a brotherhood they did not want and did not understand.
That is, on one side of the street, they fight with all their might for mayoralties and county councils, on the other side of the same street, they join hands to support the common list in the European elections. And each one must be accountable to their own electorate for this absurdity.
The result is that, as an old liberal told me, never have PSD and PNL hated each other more in the field than this year.
The situation in Bucharest was both symbolic and symptomatic. After agreeing on a common candidate, PSD and PNL discovered that the project was not viable.
The rupture of the protocol sank not only the common candidacy in Bucharest but the entire common construction planned for the whole year.
And it generated another unprecedented oddity. Common candidates in districts, separate in the PMB, the same for councils, a common list in the European elections. And a non-combat campaign when precisely, to maximize their chances, both parties should rely on the total mobilization of their own electorate against everyone.
I don't believe that the Bucharest voter is so helpless as to get confused on the ballot papers, but certainly, the fact that allies on one ballot are rivals on another cannot but be a sign of great political unseriousness.
And, in fact, this could be the biggest danger on June 9. Not being taken seriously anymore and ending up buried in an absenteeism that marks the results.