Just imagine - a normal Romania

There are presidential elections taking place this weekend in Romania. For those of you who don't know much about it, let me fill you in quickly: Romania is a former communist country in what you would call Eastern Europe; it has been now a democracy for almost 25 years - yes, we were part of that wave of communist regimes take-downs which included the fall of the Berlin wall.

During this quarter of a century, Romania has seen various political parties and alliances come and go, political figures take charge, then fall into disgrace, economical disasters, NATO and EU membership challenges, riots, corruption - at all levels and in all areas, not just politics, growth and decline of citizen participation in the civil society. Romania is also my homeland.

There is very little time left until the votes are cast for a new president in Romania this Sunday. There are probably very few undecided voters, whose votes may still be swayed one way or the other. Most of us, however, already know what future we envision for Romania and what kind of president we would like to see leading it. The problem is that, after 25 years of democracy, a large number of Romanian voters have spend their past couple of weeks wondering and afraid. During the first round of elections, large numbers of Romanians living abroad were not able to cast their ballot. After many hours lining up outside of poll stations, these people were sent away by the Romanian embassies and consulates across Europe. The poor organization of the elections was then blamed on the current Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, who also happens to be one of the two remaining candidates. He is a socialist, or a leftie as we'd call him in North America; a proponent of a party which many see in Romania as communist left-over, and not a viable political solution. He has been charged with plagiarizing his own PhD thesis, but then cleared his name through a new evaluation committee which he appointed himself.

His counter candidate is Klaus Iohannis, a democrat, the mayor of an important city in Transylvania, which boomed economically and culturally during his administration. He also carries with him the charges of corruption brought against many of his political allies. On top of that, he is not well seen by those who claim he is not a true Romanian, due to his German origins, although his ancestors have settled in Transylvania (central Romania) over 800 years ago.
There are plenty of reasons for the public to be divided between these two candidates. The uncertainty of the country's political future makes many Romanians anxious. Many, if not all voters are afraid. Some are naturally afraid to see a win of the counter-candidate. The one they hate, the one they despise, the one they insult and offend publicly. The one they ultimately cannot understand or associate with. The one they fear. Any which way a Romanian will vote this Sunday, it will be out of fear: some are afraid their puny subsidized pensions will be cut, others are afraid to see a German lead their country, others yet are afraid the communists will be back in power, or, on the other side, that we will become the laughing stock of Europe by appointing a plagiarist for president.

What is even worst, and practically unthinkable in a democratic state in this day and age, is the fact that many of the Romanian voters still have to wonder whether or not they will actually be able to cast their vote this coming Sunday. A right as simple as that, as taken for granted as it may be in the West. The right to vote is still not an absolute guarantee for those Romanian citizens living outside of Romania, as the government was not willing to extend voting hours for those abroad, nor increase the number of poll stations available. Protests have been organized all over the country in support of those abroad, and we might see more riots coming up if the situation is not dealt with better than two weeks ago. Voters had to travel far and wide to reach polling stations located only in embassies or consulates. Their only desire was to cast their vote, to speak out their mind, to voice an opinion. To part-take in a crucial decision-making process for Romania. For their country, their children, their parents, their grandparents.

The PM, Victor Ponta, has rebuked criticism in regards to the way he organized the first election round. He claimed that Romanians abroad had to now undergo a lengthier process due to previous cases of election fraud (the current president was elected with the large support of Romanian voters living abroad, voters who lean towards the democrat side). Mr. Ponta ignored various complaints of election fraud at home, where multiple so-called "red counties" have encountered a questionably high amount of electoral tourists who allegedly voted multiple times in various townships by using supplemental voters' lists. Ponta marched on with his campaign, tacitly accepting the resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs - Titus Corlăţean, a scapegoat for the failure of the November 2nd elections. There was no talk of the claims that retirees received their pension slips in the mail along with electoral pamphlets framing Iohannis as the bad guy who will cut their subsidies (for someone having to survive on 180 euro a month, that would be a big issue). Nor was there talk of the campaign lead through the Orthodox church (Romania is roughly 80% Christian Orthodox) meant to demonize Iohannis for his Protestant religious views. Images and stories surfaced on the internet of the Roma community being instructed by their leaders to vote for the left, and of yet many other elderly in remote villages being told by their incumbent mayors where to place their stamp on the ballots.
No wonder Romanians abroad are worried and will most likely come out in even larger numbers to vote (the total turn out in the first round was 52%). Romanians living abroad are invested in this election, because they are the ones who sustained the Romanian economy in the last decade by sending money home to their children or parents (4,23 billion Euros in 2013 only). And yet, they are being told by politicians at home that their vote is fraudulent, unwanted, and should not even exist. You think that sounds undemocratic and unconstitutional? It is. To us, the Romanians abroad, it sounds as if our brothers at home are now demanding us to stop addressing our mom by the word "mother". We may be the ones sustaining her, and missing her, and wishing to return to her as soon as possible. But, for as long as we live far away, our filial rights are extinguished. It would be best if we sat aside while her fate is being decided. If we could sit meekly and observe as she is prematurely sent to the cheapest nursing home. It would be best if we could continue sending the money, but not intervene in choices made at home. We can, of course, participate in the online debates, and start throwing around words like 'slut', 'whore', 'sell-out granma', 'loser', 'stinky retiree'. These are labels applied on social media to those who published pictures of themselves alongside PSD insignia (Social-Democrat Party, Ponta's political ally), or were caught on video marching in support of the socialist candidate.
The political campaign in Romania has become a full-on circus which includes not just the candidates and their parties, but also their supporters, the partisan media, the social media, and those occasionally caught in the middle. It is now acceptable for all involved, from politicians to journalists, from public cultural figures to regular people, to lash out at each other using the most despicable gangster slang. Across the board, people have lost their common sense and seem to have forgotten that those they point at and make fun of might be their own mothers, fathers, grandparents, or neighbours. No one seems to be able to draw the line between political slogans and the individual right to one's opinion, between shameless promises and the right to a secret ballot, between public manipulation and the right to free speech and public protest. Comparing Romania to a mother and the Romanian voters to a family might seem exaggerated to you. I find it necessary, in order to remind people that once the votes are cast and counted, all Romanian citizens will have to carry on with their lives. They'll have to make due with their low income, or face the same red tape when attempting to launch a private business or obtain any type of government approval. This is not in any way, shape or form a perfect family. Far from it. Romanians are not united, they are not the same, they might come from different ethnic backgrounds, different religious and political beliefs. As one who was born in Transylvania, I can attest that my relatives comprise not only pure-bred Romanians, but also Hungarian and German ethnics. My close friends and extended family members also include Romanians of Roma ethnicity. Yes, gypsies. I am not afraid of the Germans, Hungarians, Roma living in Romania. Our cohabitation on this land is long and convoluted, but it would be absurd to fear each other, especially at this turning point in our history. My friends have different political beliefs and all come from different backgrounds. Once all is said and done, and the polls close, we will remain friends. And we will all remain, first of all, Romanian.

If Romanians still want to take something away from this election, it should be the example set by Klaus Iohannis. His campaign did not follow the pre-existing template of tarnishing his opponent's image until no trace of dignity is left. His message has remained calm, steady, reasonable. That is the type of German and Transylvanian character he bears. He's been criticized for reacting too slowly to Ponta's virulent attacks. He's been instructed to learn his slogans by heart and have his answers ready for any potential encounter. He did not - instead he knew by heart the Romanian anthem, whereas Mr. Ponta simply blabbered a couple of verses. Iohannis been told repeatedly he is not as good of a politician as Mr. Ponta is. In their initial debates, many have called him the runner-up. But his steady rhythm might just win the race. He has not given in, and he has not yet changed. He remains true to his word, that of trying to re-establish normalcy in Romanian society. It remains to be seen if the Romanian political scene is ready for such a change in discourse, and if he will be able to put his plan into action should he be elected president.
But even he, as restrained and calculated as he appears to be, will not be able to succeed without direct support from regular people. From those who might have in the past looked the other way when someone slipped them 100 euros to speed up an otherwise free, public service; those who ignored the busload of electoral tourists voting in multiple locations; those who sat quietly when a priest dictated what they should vote. Only this way will we ever have the chance of becoming a truly democratic state. A state where voting left is no longer something to be ashamed of. A democratic state where voting right is not a gesture of extreme contempt for the other side. A democratic state where it is simply normal to go out and vote, exercising your constitutional right to make a difference in your country's future, then move on with your day-to-day life. A normal state. A normal Romania.