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

Romania, a banana republic ?

One functional feature of a classical banana republic, such as those once financed by the CIA in Central or South America or such as all dictatorships, consists in an extreme discrepancy between the standards of life and the concerns of the main state officials and of the rest of citizens. This is related to a foreign affairs policy in keeping with international standards, always searching for sources of credibilization, still very far from domestic reality.
Romania is slowly, but certainly heading such a state of things. During the reunion of the Supreme Council of National Defense last week they decided to send more troops to participate in missions abroad. A normal decision made by a NATO member wishing to consolidate its weak status and credibility at international level. Nothing bad so far. The NATO summit to take place in Bucharest next summer may also be a positive event. It is just that the very same day Romanian television stations were showing an unbelievable situation, filmed during a government meeting: Mr. Tariceanu yelling at his poor minister, Mr. Nicolaescu, telling him to find a specialist in emergency situations to deal with the health of Romanians facing a heat wave. And Mr. Tariceanu was so kindly adding: Get the Emergency Hospital or the University Hospital head or some of the kind to handle emergencies !
It proves there are at least two parallel realities in Romania: one with the perfect troops and their 21st century equipment and another one with 'made in Romania' improvisation for the life of a population no politician cares about any longer. We are perfect at arranging conferences, seminars and debates, followed by parties. Of course all these mean huge contribution to the national budget. But what is interesting is that the tradition inherited from Ceausescu's etiquette works: the attendants of such events are surrounded by an impermeable sanitary belt to efficiently protect them against the rest of the mortals and against reality as well.
The NATO officials get a surprising and slightly embarrassing companion (chains of official cars preceded by motorbikes visibly and rudely ridden by the Guardianship and Protection Service chaps on routes not open to public traffic). So how can they know how the protection system for civil emergencies works ? Any clime phenomenon is extreme catastrophe to us. And the naked truth is that Romania lacks national systems to respond coherently and functionally.
God protect us against some terrorist attack in Bucharest and against special emergency transport on our deadlocked streets and avenues! God protect us against some major epidemic ! When hospitalized, Romanians have to bring their medicine, bed sheets, towels and syringes from home. Let's keep in mind the tragic state of things we don't report to the EU or NATO chaps: in Romania there still are localities lacking electricity and a huge number of lodging places and households without sewerage.
No one will prevent us from going on with our lives within such a reality. They pretend they don't know about it and we are proud and enthralled with national haughtiness. Isn't this supposed to be a target of Romania's European development ? If it isn't, can you see anyone care about it ? Still no one there...

Cristian Unteanu
Ziua Marti 03 Iulie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english