What did Traian Basescu get round Gabriel Liiceanu with ?

I cannot agree with those who claim that only commercial interests would back up Gabriel Liiceanu's attachment to Basescu. The self-respect prevents him from depreciating himself. I've met him when I was a student, we used to talk about Noica and other escapes from the contingent. However, he had the singular courage to vote against the persecution measures taken against his brilliant colleague and friend Andrei Plesu.
I didn't even dream at that time that Editura Politica (the Political Publishing House) of the communist regime would be taken over, not long after, by Gabriel Liiceanu, and turned into an imposing cultural industry. "Humanitas" is an enterprise meant to prove the fact that a man of culture can brilliantly succeed also in business. I was glad for this exemplary success, even though not so glad for the readers' pockets, as the books prices are quite prohibitive. There are, however, debts left not honoured. And some consider that exemption of debts would stand behind the support he grants president Basescu. I can't believe that. I believe, instead, that the cultural manager Gabriel Liiceanu has gone about with president Basescu for commercial reasons - see the book fairs, especially the last summer one when two books signed Traian Ungureanu were launched in the presence of the author. The event was broadcast live by "Realitatea TV"station (own by the "oligarch" forgiven-Vantu).
Good for cultural manager Liiceanu that he has taken advantage of president Basescu in commercial purpose. However it's not too good that president Basescu is taking advantage of Gabriel Liiceanu in electoral purposes. That's the problem. He abandoned the arduous monarchist conviction he proved by the time (1992) we took part in the production of the movie "Monarchy saves Romania", produced by Sorin Iliesiu. Mr. Liiceanu has accepted to become an honorary presidential counselor and takes part in the drawing up of a Constitution draft on "the third republic". In 1994, he refused to be a member of the Consultative Council of His Majesty, King Mihai I. Liiceanu said then that he wanted to devote himself to the cultural activity and that there was nothing to do for the return to monarchy under the conditions of Iliescu regime.
In 1999-2000, when Mr. Liiceanu was a member of the Council of Administration of TVR (the public television), I expressed, in an editorial in "Romania libera", my regret on the fact that he came round to those who rejected Lucia Hossu Longin's candidature to the position of CEO of the public television. Later on, he realized he had been wrong, but he was still angry with me. The important thing is that he apologized to Lucia Hossu. And it would also be important that now, he brings back the bait Basescu has thrown him and that he has swallowed unchewed, together with other intellectuals who were in the Parliament's box when the president condemned the communism. Then, Vadim Tudor, the contrast character, was intensely used to intensify the democratic nature of the all-of-a-sudden-anti-communist Traian Basescu and also to emphasize hostility against Parliament.
The Parliament is aberrantly put in opposition to the people. But the parliamentary parties represent the people. Otherwise we would have had totalitarianism. Mr. Liiceanu rallied the anti-parties campaign, being seduced by the role of anticommunist the ultimate exponent of the communist system, that is president Traian Basescu, performs. Gabriel Liiceanu keeps on repeating that he appreciates the "gestures in which he recognizes himself". A great actor, Marcel Iures, told me that he hated the phrase "to make a gesture". Actions, not gestures, he pointed out. An act is a fact. The gesture is theatricality. Or, a third-rate falsity.

Roxana Iordache
Ziua Luni 02 Iulie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english