The entire mass-media has recently experienced a profound and shocking epiphany: UNPR + PMP = Think-Joke-Eat. Namely, translated as directly and simplistically or naively as possible, UNPR has merged with PMP.
Ok. Extraordinary piece of news during a time of the year completely bereft of political emotions and tricks meant to keep alive the attention of a public opinion that is in the midst of the great annual vacation relaxation.
Because the artisan/artisans of this little frolic with a tinge of bombshell news are absolute masters in the art of pinpoint manipulations, well-aimed and served as refreshing sodas at a time of political swelter.
But the question is: Which UNPR?
Since UNPR, as a party, never existed the way a party really exists. Although it had the whole profile of one. It’s just that this profile, featuring strong hues of exacerbation and exaggeration of this alleged reality, turned out to be a political fake. A fake that has benefitted a single politician – Traian Basescu.
As one would say, the cycle has been completed, things have come full circle, and UNPR has returned to its origin, in the arms of its creator.
Everything else are stories, the likes of Traian Basescu’s ultra-secret meetings with Valeriu Steriu, the so-called leader of UNPR, in all kinds of locations more or less officially frequented by the ex-president out of reasons related to his personal fun or for the delight of the press and lovers of political cancan, remaining exactly what they are – political cancan topics.
Just as the statement that Traian Basescu made a day after the “important” merger was announced: “…a condition to become state-subsidised political party. If it wins 5 percent in the elections scheduled at the end of the year, PMP will be wired to public funds.”
Until now the PMP being wired to what money? Whose money? This would be the question to one of Mr. President’s explanations.
Moreover, just as spectacular, another reason for this merger, as Mr. President Traian Basescu recounts, would be that “UNPR has a very important dowry: the lawmakers who came from PPDD. We will form a parliamentary group that will allow us to have people within polling centres at the parliamentary elections.”
But the dowry coffer turned out to be empty before the groom came to woo the bride and take her to the city hall. In this case to court.
Because there is only one step from city hall to court. Just like there is from love to hate. One most often including the other.
Another question just as important would be the following: Where is the dowry?
Because it seems the dowry coffer was emptied three weeks ago. Its contents being depleted by PSD lawmakers. Better put, so as not to offend the bride, it was taken over by PSD’s Senate group through a gesture of rape (this term should be understood strictly euphemistically and strictly in a political sense), the group being adamant, in a special and perverse way (also in a political sense), on carrying through to its end this abomination and on completely eliminating the dowry, of which only a small piece remains within the Lower Chamber. Where several members of the UNPR group are like intoxicated chicken, sitting in chairs and lifting their arms on command. Since this is precisely why they have been allowed to exist in the short span until the new Parliament is formed. From then on they would exist solely as a political memory in UNPR’s great family photo with its one million members and Mr. President Basescu’s new national interest platform.
And finally, the last but not least explanation offered by the same Mr. President tells everything about what really lies behind the big political joke called the UNPR-PMP merger:
Asked how he will collaborate with members of UNPR, after at one point he called them “traitors,” Basescu explained: “A lot of things are said in politics. If I were to take into account everything said about me I could no longer be involved in politics, I would just stay with my wife.”
I believe this is the statement that represents the revelatory key stone of the whole explanation for the mysterious and brutal merger.
Now, all joke aside, although we attempted a slight hue of irony in order to lighten up a bit an atmosphere that already is pretty murky and confusing in Romanian politics, what should really preoccupy us about this whole story and about all other stories that are taking place in Romanian politics, at the surface or deep down, is the real stake: the forming of the new Parliament this autumn.
What is being tried through these diversions, which are, I would say, as transparent and naïve as possible, inferior to the possibilities of a politician like Traian Basescu, in fact represents the idea of reforming the political right wing. Inexistent at this moment. And this reformation, extremely important and urgent and which in fact has been ongoing for some time, can only be done through the left wing. (!)
As uncanny as my statement might seem, and as easy as UNPR’s position and status permanently seemed to be during its six years of existence, most considering UNPR to be a left-wing party in particular, through an obvious error of perception and vision, the current situation proves that in fact Traian Basescu remains the only strong constant, the only core that is viable from the standpoint of empowering a political right wing. Regardless of what labels he would wear as idea of a party that he would guide at one point or another.
Because, no matter how difficult it would be for some to accept, Traian Basescu has de facto remained in the collective memory as the effigy of the Romanian right wing, being the only political entity that can create and reform this political wing.
Traian Basescu has ceded territorial power and scope to another political character who is just as important at this moment, I would dare say. A kind of his alter-ego or left-wing twin. In these conditions, by also ceding control of territorial political power, this part of the game goes to none other than Liviu Dragnea.
Because Traian Basescu, as profile of a political leader, has always based his power on the parliamentary structure. Even in the context in which PD-L had the biggest political administrative-territorial scope behind PSD’s.
Hence, now, in this situation, it is natural for Traian Basescu’s action to start before the parliamentary elections campaign, to grow in intensity during the elections and to reach its apex immediately after the end of the campaign.
Thus, the real stake of the UNPR-PMP merger, and of all combinations of this kind that will follow from now on, is the reformation of the right wing with the help of the left wing and with the direct and total support of the two figures who are the most important at this time, visible or less visible, acknowledged or less acknowledged, however undeniable beyond any media or other kind of speculation – Liviu Dragnea and Traian Basescu.
