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ANOTHER FAILED MOTION(4.10.2007)
(2007-10-04)
Last updated: 2007-10-05 10:23 EET Print
The 18 year long Romanian post-communist democracy has never seen a successfully passed motion of censure, and has never seen early elections. In the 1990’s, three Prime Ministers – the leftist Petre Roman and Christian Democrats Victor Ciorbea and Radu Vasile – were forced to step down. They were replaced by successors belonging to the same political families. As for the other post-communist governments, more often than not supported by improvised majorities, they managed to complete their mandates, though none excelled in its performance. The current minority government, made up of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, a cabinet led by Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, could end up following this same pattern. The two parties making up the cabinet enjoy the support of only 20% of MPs. However, backstage manoeuvring with opposition MPs on Wednesday offered the government the chance to “survive” a new censure motion. Initiated by the Social Democratic Party, supported by the Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Party, and rejected by the Greater Romania Party and the Conservative Party, the motion needed 232 favourable votes to be passed, but only received 220. Consequently, Tariceanu remains Prime Minister, but not a very relaxed one. With only 152 votes against the motion, the motion is indicative of the low level of parliamentary support for the government, which was only 12 votes away from being toppled. It was not by chance that the first statement Tariceanu made after the motion, referred to the 2008 draft state budget. A possible rejection of the draft budget is the legal equivalent of a motion, as it also translates into the toppling of the government. Calin Popescu Tariceanu: ”We are not willing to make any compromise for the sole reason of staying in power. I agree that it is necessary to start debates on the budget. Romania needs a budget to reflect the necessity of continuing the accelerated economic growth at a fast pace.” However, the Prime Minister didn’t refuse the pleasure of settling political accounts. ”It is now proven that when the Democratic Party has an interest, irrespective of its political options, as it is a party of opportunists, it votes along with the Social Democratic Party, because the Democrats consider this move necessary, without thinking of the national interest or the Romanians’ interest, taking into consideration only their narrow political interest. For me, it is not surprising at all that the Democratic Party voted together with the Social Democratic Party in support of the motion.” In 2004, although the Democrats and Liberals ran on common lists, they lost the parliamentary election, to the Social Democratic Party. However, they came to power after Democratic leader Traian Basescu won the presidential election. Shortly afterwards, friction between the president and the prime minister turned into an open war, which in spring culminated in the removal of the Democrat ministers from the government. As for the initiator of the motion, Social-Democratic leader Mircea Geoana, he is still in an “anti-governmental frenzy”. ”The situation of the government is getting complicated, although it will continue its activity for a short while. It is clear now that at the moment, the government will face not only a tough, but also total opposition from the Social Democratic Party. So, more likely than not, the joy of the Liberal and Ethnic Hungarian ministers will be a short one. As to the vote, it is very clear that some MPs’ cowardice allowed the government to survive.” Analysts made amusing remarks on the authoritarian tone used by Geoana, a tone which is completely atypical of him, and sounds rather forced. Openly defied by some high ranking members of the Social Democratic Party, the motion was stillborn from the beginning. And now, Geoana runs the risk of paying a high price for his new political failure, losing the leadership of the Social Democratic party, even before Tariceanu loses leadership of the government. (Bogdan Matei)

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