The opposite of the message of the prophetic words of the Book of Daniel “Counted, counted, weighed, and divided!” which announced the end of the Babylonian empire, for this year’s elections a political continuity of government is predicted.
Alin Orgoan Photo: Personal archive
Combined, added, subtracted, multiplied and divided were the elections of this year of grace 2024 for Romania. Romanians will elect people to represent them at all levels: from village, commune, city, to parliamentarians, indirectly ministers, MEPs and they will also elect the president.
A string of four high-stakes picks for the next 5 years. Five years means a lot in a person’s life, it means many choices, life transitions, changes in family life, career. In other words, although the stakes are huge and all the elections are important, the meeting between the political class and the electorate at the table of reckoning did not take place, because the organizers, civil society, the press and television are more concerned with the politics than with the correct information of citizens about stakes, balance sheet, new challenges.
The first, merged and linked elections are the European and local elections. Local elections have some promotion through the prism of the nature of this election, they are very personal, related to individuals with first and last names, with pedigree, history, dramas and may present more direct economic and financial interests for real estate investors or for all kinds of businesses that are waiting new administrations that are easy to buy and that “don’t mess up too much”. But, unfortunately, local election campaigns are hacked and there is little discussion of public administration, European funds, transparency, balance sheets.
What is heard in the media about the European elections, apart from lists and negotiations? Nothing. Silence the press! 17 years after joining the European Union, we still see the European Union as an organization that is too complicated and distant from citizens, disconnected from the common man. When in fact it is not. Are we dealing with a society that is too lazy or one where more messages are promoted that are directly or indirectly anti-European?
We are not talking about perhaps the most difficult European mandate in the history of the European Union
Pandemic, invasion of Ukraine with direct and indirect consequences, from millions of refugees, to inflation, rising energy prices, new diplomacy and security challenges. Urgent, important decisions had to be made that would change the nature of the EU’s political project in the future. One of these stages is the joint borrowing of 750 billion euros from the financial markets by the European Union. In reality, the European Union of the 9th legislature is one that responds to crises, is innovative and starts a new economic model, based on revolutionary digital and green transitions. It is a bet by a Europe that tries to use its strengths as best as possible against the United States and China, in order to remain relevant and strong. This is an extremely short summary of a complicated legislature, with extremely sensitive files that were not the subject of debates in Romanian society, except perhaps extremely superficially.
The lack of analyzes of European policies at the national level, be it from the political class or civil society
Let’s say thank you that there are serious think tanks in Europe such as Bruegel, EPG and others that analyze the Commission’s proposals and the legislation adopted by the European Union, which affects more than 450 million European citizens. I watch with interest the speeches of some politicians who dare to criticize the European Green Pact, as a whole, although it declines in dozens of pieces of legislation. They are not able to explain which legislation it refers to, from which sector, what impact it would have on Romania, where they got that data from, and especially when that regulation or directive will enter into force. Nota bene, not everything that comes from the EU is good or perfect, but when discussing critically, things must be explained very well, not populist or dilettante, but with data. In addition, the European Union does not impose on any State by force a legislation in which it did not take part as a negotiator, both from the European Parliament and from the Council, I am not talking about the stage of public consultation when both the private and public environment can communicate with European Commission to express their fears about a possible negative impact.
The lack of political debates regarding the future vision of politicians for the European Union
The actual election campaign has not started yet. Theoretically, those who want to run must collect the necessary signatures to run in the European elections. For example, an independent candidate in the European elections must collect 100 thousand signatures, for a political party the number of signatures required is 200 thousand signatures. It is the largest number of signatures required in Europe to run. But how can you sign a list if you don’t know what the candidate’s priorities or vision are, if you don’t see that he or she understands what this position entails? Hopefully there will be debates during the campaign? Not really. I watched several debates organized by the Romanian media considered “good”, but they were a disappointment, from the bad organization, promotion, to the lack of preparation of the moderator. It’s just soft talk, in a wooden language, of which no one really understands anything. Instead of clarifying, they misinformed the public, which was mostly non-existent anyway.
But what vision could the candidates from the party lists where they were handpicked have, if these positions are given more as consolation prizes. For example, a candidate who has been offered an eligible seat on a list after being denied a mayoral bid in a large city. In other words, the big parties also treat the European elections as an opportunity to give away positions as consolation prizes or prizes for withdrawing from national political activity.
HOWEVER, Why are the European elections important?
Beyond the low interest and the gaps in the understanding of the European Union, why are they important for Romanians? I mean, beyond the eternal clichéd arguments “on interest”, like the European Union gives us a lot of money. And in these years, more than 80 billion euros will enter the Romanian economy. There would be a lot to discuss about other topics such as free movement or the millions of Romanians who support the Romanian economy with money and investments because they work abroad for higher salaries, Erasmus scholarships for students who will study abroad with European money, about money for research , culture, NGOs. In general, we are at the table with the rich, and if we were more responsible, we would know how to make better use of these benefits.
More than 70% of the laws in Romania come in the form of regulations and directives from Brussels
From air quality, to pesticide regulations, illegal logging, green spaces in cities, how blocks are built and what type of heat to use, transport, agriculture, environment, health, high norms and standards for everyone, they come together with impact studies, but also with European funds. If we want a country like outside, then we have to have rules like outside, but above all implementing rules like outside. When you go to the hospital you get confused, when you go to school to see how the Horn and Milk is implemented you get scared, when you go to the city you see so many things done for salvation.
It matters what kind of people we send for the overall picture of Romania
MEPs are politicians who in theory will have to work on files, negotiate, know how to speak several foreign languages, understand what they are voting for, fight for citizens and their rights and see that they stay in Brussels longer than like a well-paid vacation. Romania has had part in the mandate so far of hard-working and appreciated MEPs, but also of parliamentarians whom the Parliament did not really see in the face. Should this matter? At school we give diplomas to good students at the end of the year if they were good and hardworking, I think that in politics too we should reward those who did their job. But again, how do we know about them, if the press doesn’t write about them, doesn’t talk about them? Does Romania’s image matter? Yes, look at the Schengen file, it matters a lot to have someone to refer to the negotiations.
We also contribute to the European construction
Romanians seem to have grown up with this idea of accepting, of receiving everything for granted. But we are already old members in this European construction and we must also participate in it, to express our point of view. Do we want more Europe, do we want deepening or do we want expansion to other States? What would we change about the current project? How do we see the principle of solidarity? Or to debate more concrete topics, such as the Union budget, how we share money according to the principle of solidarity, about the veto or the rule of law, as well as issues related to citizens’ rights. A lot of things to which a mature society that understands the European construction, with mature representatives and who understand the importance of debates and strong arguments could respond usefully. – Read the rest of the article and comment on Contributors.ro
