Referendum result 'the worst' for Romania
by Hannes Swoboda
The results of the Romanian referendum on Sunday were as I had anticipated and feared. A majority of voters did indeed support the impeachment of President Traian Basescu – but because of the heat of the summer and Basescu's call to boycott the referendum, less than 50 per cent of eligible voters took part, so the required quorum was not achieved. In the resulting stalemate, there are no winners and no losers. Yet Basescu continues to talk of a coup d'état and some in the government are trying to meddle with the outcome.
The debate about a coup must stop. Prime Minister Victor Ponta undid all questionable emergency legislation and complied with the recommendations from Brussels before the referendum took place. Romania as a state, a democracy and a society must be able to deal with these kinds of political processes without resorting to totalitarian rhetoric. The discussion about the results must end as well. The quorum was accepted by all parties ahead of the referendum and the results were officially verified. There is no winner, because neither Ponta nor Basescu – and least of all the Romanian people – won here.
The situation now seems quite messy. This outcome was the worst that could happen for Romania. Instead of bringing clarity to the situation it brought new fuel to the fire of the dispute. The European Union must urge both sides to call a truce. In any case, Romania will soon have more elections. Parliamentary elections are already planned for this autumn, giving the Romanian people a new opportunity to speak out, hopefully more clearly this time. And a new president will have to be elected in 2014 at the latest.
Romania has more important things to do now than to paralyse itself with domestic in-fighting. For the moment, neither side is willing to focus on the essential tasks ahead. In my childhood there was a well-known proverb along the lines of "A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will" – or in Austrian German: "Der Gescheitere gibt nach, der Esel fliegt in den Bach". I do not know whether there are enough people in the governing majority who want to be that wiser man. It would be good for the country. But they would have to want the right thing: reforms.
These reforms must lead Romania forwards and not backwards. This applies to the judiciary, improving democratic standards and the administration. But it is also important that Romania works on cultural openness and confronting its past frankly. What I see and hear is fairly mixed. Romania cannot move on from the Basescu era and its authoritarian leadership while stuck in a nostalgic past, but must keep a decisive eye on the future.
Ponta has made it clear he is willing to comply with the European Commission's recommendations, as I publicly urged him to do. Now he must deliver on this promise, respecting the European values that unite us. The EU is right to take pride in its diversity. But democracy and the rule of law are our common denominator. Only those who share this view can and will have the support of European social democrats.
Hannes Swoboda is president of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
Romania's suspended President Traian Basescu will be allowed to return to the post after the country's constitutional court rules that a referendum on his impeachment was invalid
Good article and good points. I am not a social democrat by any stretch, in fact I come from the complete opposite side of the aisle. However, it is this kind of dialogue and rhetoric that people should be following, rather than the caustic infighting that's been taking place in Romania. My only concern is that Ponta is not the right man for the job anymore. Frankly you, as in European social democrats, should take a good look at a man who is an alleged fraud - see the plagiarism scandal - and who appears to be putting a personal vendetta above good governance and bipartisanship before backing him up. Thank you.
Eugen - Bucharest, Romania
Yeah, because of the heat of the summer. The voting sections were open until late evening. I don't think it was much about the heat of the summer, really.
Gigi
Romanian did not fail to vote because it was too hot or because Basescu urged them not to. They didn't take part in the referendum because they don't support USL and because they did not think Basescu should be replaced with Antonescu. It's as simple as that. If the vast majority wanted him out, they would have voted even in 50 degrees celsius.
mara
The election's quorum-requirement, that over 50-per cent of registered voters must cast ballots, relies on knowing the true number of registered voters, doesn't it? But is that number transparently accessible and verifiable? Can a referendum be invalidated merely by making an official announcement that 18 million adults are registered rather than 15-million? Who can check on such a claim?
Are all
those registered persons still alive? If 10 million had
cast ballots on July 29, would the number of registered voters have been announced as 21 million? Does a quorum-system like this truly guarantee authentic democracy? Or is it perhaps open to manipulation?
Al - USA
"I do not know whether there are enough people in the governing majority who want to be that wiser man." Do you happen to know whether Basescu could be a wiser man instead? It would be best for the country and it would only take one person to be wiser. Why does he have to cling on to his destructively divisive position even at the cost of destroying Romania's image in the world and the nine million Romanians who voted want him out?
Me
Some voters are prosecuted by prosecuters, they threatening some persons on TV channels and the next day that person is prosecuted. People begin to feel terror to vote again. People do not want the president anymore, not for cutting the wages but for his making fun of different categories of professionals
Flori - Romania
Unfortunately, behind the USL are the most corrupted communists from the Ceausescu. They are not just trying to get rid of the president Basescu but also to get a strong grip on the justice. All this was done to protect an enriched class that leads USL from the shadows. We, all the Romanians who had a chance to travel,study, see in all the actions of Ponta and Antonescu actions against democracy .
The lies that are some are coming up with are typical to the 1947 era, when the communists with the help of Moscow took over the conuntry. If Basescu is not coming back to Cotroceni/presidential palace - it means that all the laws and justice will be affected. And I dont see how Romania will be able to maintain democracy for everyone. Right now while I am writing ,the USL - who took over the most of the city, county quarters and mayors seats - are working on special lists to carry out fraud in the referendum.
The tactics that USL(communists) are using are deception, incriminating the PDL/democratic party, lies and intoxicating the typical TV channels owned by one of the tycons. They are instigating people to not obey the laws. Maybe the last chance for the young democracy of our country is the help from the legislators of UE. It is a disgrace.They would love to control the entire country without any common sense and patriotism.
Unfortunately the level of political understanding in certain areas of the villages of Romania, in Oltenia and Moldova, is so low. And they were using them to get their votes, even paying them or offering transportations where many of them who were voting in several villages - several times. A believer of democracy. Thank you.
ovi - Transilvania
