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| Protests and Politics |
| (2012-01-30) |
| Last updated: 2012-01-31 13:53 EET |
In Bucharest and other cities across Romania, anti-presidential and anti-government protesters keep marching on, despite blistering cold and last week’s snowstorm. “We won’t quit until you leave!” is the slogan that best sums up the protesters’ state of mind.
They demand the resignation of President Traian Basescu and the cabinet led by Liberal Democrat Emil Boc, followed by snap elections. The violent incidents that initially seemed to taint a legitimate movement are now a thing of the past, as are the attempts to add political color to the protests.
Neutral observers have noted that the protests, despite being fueled by poverty, are mainly aimed to bring salvation to democracy and a state blighted by an incompetent, corrupt and arrogant political class. The protesters’ primary target, President Traian Basescu, admitted that the rallies are understandable. He said that Romanians have already paid the price of austerity, and now it’s time for politicians to pay it. And it might be time to pay up earlier than Basescu thinks.
Snap elections, fervently demanded by the protesters and the government opposition, have also begun to gain support from within the ruling coalition. The Liberal Democrats have strongly rejected this idea, but members of the National Union of Ethnic Hungarians, partners in government, have begun to note it as a possible solution to the social and political crisis.
This scenario would find the Liberal Democratic Party as an outsider in the electoral race. According to a poll published by the daily Adevarul, the Liberal Democrats have plummeted in the polls since protests began in mid January. The group obtained 21% of intended votes in January, but has since fallen to below 16 percent. The Social Liberal Union suffered a small downturn late last year, falling below 50% in the polls, but now enjoys over 53% of intended votes.
Social tension and an inconclusive response from the political class are fuel for anti-government parties. The newly formed People’s Party, led by a controversial tabloid television owner, seems to be the most in shape, with nearly 14 percent of intended votes. The party is followed in the rankings by an old-time favorite of nationalist-populist supporters, the Greater Romania Party.
One spectacular rise in the polls has been that of King Michael, who has earned the confidence of 36 percent of participants. He now ranks above the opposition’s Liberal and Social Democrat leaders, Crin Antonescu and Victor Ponta, respectively. By comparison, Traian Basescu earns 9% of votes, the lowers figure since taking office. The poll was conducted between the 11th and the 17th of January, on a sample of 1,039 people, with a 3% error margin.
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