The oil stain

We are at the starting line of a campaign that is probably the most devoid of real hope, a campaign that marks the quasi-general abdication from principles and values intensively promoted for years. Political realism has become synonymous with extreme cynicism, demagogy, and hypocrisy have spread like wildfire, and whoever dares to point out the nakedness of the emperors is put on trial as a traitor sold to the enemy. The two major political alliances on the stage and their offers are, as Dan Tăpălagă and Cristian Pantazi pointed out, proof that the last standards have fallen. Hypocritical politicking is widespread. "Sacrifice" PSD-PNL PSD and PNL are "sacrificing" themselves for the country in the governing and electoral coalition that practically marks the death of liberalism. PNL is a party destroyed by the subordination of Klaus Iohannis's personal interests, systematically emasculated, led by increasingly inadequate and sometimes caricatural groups. It is merely an annex ensuring the majority of a PSD-led government. If it were a good government, it wouldn't necessarily be a tragedy. But it is a government that destroys Romania's long-term development prospects by creating immense imbalances of all kinds: economic, demographic through massive exodus, moral. The numbers are relevant, I will only mention here the inflation by far the highest in the EU and the immensity of the budgetary apparatus, the fourth, in terms of cost, in Europe. They sacrifice themselves in the fight against extremism. In vain! What is growing in Romania is a frustrated and furious populism, generated by the increasingly poor life of the average person and the total lack of trust in traditional parties and state institutions. Anti-Europeanism and sovereigntism are also provoked by the Power's discourse, which blames the EC for all failures of incompetence and domestic corruption. Populism and sovereigntism were generated and suit them perfectly as they can invoke a danger that justifies their actions strictly for maintaining power for as long as possible, at any cost. And not for a vision, not for a project, but for the benefits of power. USR, the easy and mediocre path On the other side, the pro-European opposition alliance ADU represents a betrayal of those who truly believed in new politics, in reform, in the effort to build something clean. USR has fraternized with all sorts of shady figures from traditional politics from FD and PMP. It's terrible to smile on posters alongside Olguța Vasilescu and Claudiu Manda, but it's no more glorious to fraternize with Alin Nica, Minister Grindă, or Claudiu Palaz. USR has chosen the easy path of adding a few percentage points of politically expired individuals instead of naturally growing by working hard and maintaining its principles. They rejoiced for 3-4 percent and missed many others, which would have come from people expecting a truly new and reformist offer. It's disheartening to remove Elena Lasconi from the lists after the "Dragnea's referendum" scandal, but to form an alliance with those who openly supported the said referendum. Everything against PSD! But not only the association with PSD compromises. Associating with any form of PSDism compromises. I've said it before, I don't see why Antonel Tănase from ADU is better than Marian Neacșu from the coalition, for example. I'm glad that REPER managed to gather the signatures and will run because they had the courage to face the elections without such disgusting tricks. Whether they will pass the threshold remains to be seen (and this is by no means an encouragement to vote for this party), but it's noteworthy that they exposed themselves on their own. As for the "felons" on the lists, it's ironic that the fewest are from PSD. PNL and ADU have no qualms about parading with them. Our felons are victims of bad institutions, their felons are scoundrels caught by worthy institutions. The solution is not with the parties But the blame is not on the parties. Their goal is to get votes and they do what represents the recipe for success to obtain them. So, obviously, there are still enough voters who accept such an offer, validate it, as I've said before, some - captives of the crumbs thrown from power, others - captives of the lesser evil. At this rate, the mass of voters will shrink from one election to another, except for moments of furious negative voting, a trend we already see among young people, in the recent IRES survey. And this withdrawal from the electoral game of the majority erodes democracy like nothing else. I repeat, the solution should not be expected from the parties, they quickly adapt to successful recipes. The solution lies with the electorate, its demands, what it demands, and how it makes itself heard.

„Sacrifice” PSD-PNL

USR, the easy and mediocre path

The solution is not with the parties