Only one month remains until the elections, the official campaign, theoretically enough time for any overturn of the situation, at least regarding the uninominal scrutinies.
Regardless of whether there will be surprises or not, it is worth noting a few elements that seem to mark the path towards June 9.
1. The merging of elections had the complete suffocation effect of the European Parliament elections by the local ones, traditionally the most interesting elections, because local authority is the closest to the citizen and his daily life.
European themes do not exist, do not matter, are not explained, once again the role of a Member of the European Parliament is just a sinecure for prizewinners/dinosaurs.
As a result, vulnerability to manipulations like "Brussels imposed on us, Brussels is to blame" is accentuated. Meaning shifting the blame for their own failure and incompetence onto the EU.
2. Lamentable alliances. The joint list of PSD - PNL has even lost the reason for fighting extremism, which has become rampant. It makes no sense, it is just an irreversible part of an already failed experiment that infuriates both electorates to the maximum, especially the liberal one, which already had a hard time swallowing the governing coalition.
But the United Right Alliance is no better, bringing together three ideologically incompatible parties, especially from the perspective of the moral reform promised by USR.
Valeriu Nicolae described some examples of the unforgivable associations that the URA implies for USR on Facebook.
3. The boundless failure in ridiculing Romanian sovereigntism. The cases of AUR and SOS prove that cardboard leaders can even ridicule the sharpest and most dangerous topics.
If George Simion and Diana Șoșoacă were not so limited and coarse, the political risks we see in other parts of Europe would have genuinely threatened Romania.
Their major problem and that of the parties they lead is not inciting hatred, fear, and adversity. It is the bursts of laughter, a collapse from which recovery is much more difficult.
4. The widespread major hypocrisies and reckonings. The ones prosecuted are criminals for some, while for others, the prosecuted are harassed victims. Accusations of incompatibility for some are lynched, while the incompatible ones are glorified.
There are no principles left, no unit of measure, only sometimes almost Taliban-like loyalties.
5. The boomerang effect. For years, the PSD fiercely supported the single-round voting of mayors, which often decisively favors incumbent mayors. The PNL mayors also supported the system for the same reason.
Thus, there was never a majority for returning to the two-round vote, and mandates continued to be won by mayors who have the majority of voters against them, divided among several candidates.
For example, in the case of Bucharest. In a two-round system, Nicușor Dan would not have great chances against the united electorate of the opposing candidates. The tide has turned.
6. The deprofessionalization of the political class. The whole picture above is the consequence of Romania no longer having genuine political leaders, not even malevolent ones.
The era of Ion Iliescu, Adrian Năstase, Traian Băsescu, not to mention Corneliu Coposu or Ion Rațiu, is over. Those who now lead used to play backgammon with the former leaders' drivers, while the latter were engaging in high-level politics.
What will come out of this whole mix remains to be seen, the worst effect, but also the most predictable, would be apathy, corrosive like nothing else for democracy.