Iliescu strikes back

The layers in the largest party in Romania, the only socialist group, are disturbed. If there is no earthquake coming, then significant changes are to be expected before the countdown for the local and parliamentary elections. The most spectacular evolution of events within the PSD (Social-Democrat Party) may be the deposition of Mircea Geoana, accompanied by a comeback of Ion Iliescu, even if provisory. And, although it is still in shade, we can notice the intensifying regaining of authority with Adrian Nastase as beneficiary.
Right now Mircea Geoana, who got to head the PSD spectacularly, by facing Ion Iliescu, is being blamed for everything. He is reproached that the PSD, although in the opposition, has been losing points in opinion polls instead of improving to get power again. To a party still clientele-based it would be a disaster if the alternation of ruling parties principles was done away with and the left didn't take over after four years of governing by the right. And Mircea Geoana is also blamed for the referendum against the Romanian President, although the PSD isn't guilty of it. Nevertheless, this party failed to focus on the referendum initiative decisively. Others are to be blamed for it, mainly the PNL (National Liberal Party). The Liberals didn't even try an alliance with the other parliamentary parties in order to sack Basescu for good and they neither made use of the time when the President was suspended in order to promote laws to prevent him from playing with the Constitution norms in the future.
Mircea Geoana is also paying for a PSD victory: the law raising pensions for the retired Romanians. The PSD authored the project first, but then the PNL took over. Traian Basescu's rough opposition to the pension raise had a bizarre effect, forcing the government into promoting it vehemently in order to shade the contribution of the PSD. Mircea Geoana is paying for it until the victory comes.
In case their bill against the government fails, he will pay for this too. If it still takes place, it will end up with disaster. Geoana has forgotten about the magic words any MP utters when early elections are a threat: "We are not going home". More recently, Geoana is also blamed for Basescu's chase of his political adversaries, some of them outstanding PSD personalities, by means of criminal investigations dominated by political criteria. It is in progress right now, with the vulnerable president of this party using criminal records as threat himself.
Given these, political enemies are sticking close to Mircea Geoana. There are many who want to fix him. Ion Iliescu is the first, because after the election he was humiliatingly defeated by Mircea Geoana and he nearly quitted. There are more prominent leaders of the PSD who are seeking revenge. One of them is Adrian Nastase, now about to be thrown over board. Dan Ioan Popescu, still somehow influential, was already sacked.
But who will take over, in case Geoana is done away with ? The PSD has got only two solutions available for the time being: interim leaders, Victor Ponta and Cristian Diaconescu undoubtedly among them, or Ion Iliescu's comeback.
I believe that, until things are settled to serve Adrian Nastase, the second solution is more at hand. He would be a guarantor that, Basescu's political revenge will end some day. Whether you like it or not, Iliescu strikes back.

Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua Miercuri 12 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english