In the first years after the collapse of the communist regime, Romania was unsuccessful in both domestic and foreign policy. Meanwhile, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and the Baltic states, which were also in the Soviet bosom for a long time, took decisive steps towards the West. Ultimately, Romanians also chose the path to NATO, which they joined in 2004, and to the European Union, which they accepted in 2007. The interests of the West met with the interests of Romania. For us, there were two significant steps on the basis of which we gained security and apparent prosperity compared to the previous period.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, especially in the last year, forced the states not only of Europe and North America to make a choice, to be on the side of the aggressor or the victim. The majority of European countries chose the side of the Ukrainians, some gave pro-Russian signals, others continued to play among themselves.

In the first seven or eight months of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Romania seemed to be doing the right thing, more willingly, more restrained by the value clubs of which it is a member – NATO and the EU. In fact, the Romanian decision-makers did not really do all that they should have done, or in other words, they did only partially what was expected of them. The military support given to Ukraine was neither very consistent nor taken at face value. The official internal channels said that we were doing a lot, but suddenly the wisdom reached us: “let the leftists not know what the rightists are doing.”

We feel national depression when we compare ourselves with others from our part of Europe. We are angry that our merits are not recognized. If they exist and we hide them, how do we want others to know and rave about them? But if they are so small compared to what others are doing, including those with much, much less opportunities than ours, why should they talk about what we consider a great achievement?

How do we want to be considered if Romanian leaders invent or amplify topics that are not related to foreign policy just to serve them in domestic politics? How do we want to be seen if we don’t play smart, predictable and bold on the regional political scene, CEE/SE (depending on how we define macro-regions)? Those who seized the palaces of local authorities consider themselves to be lights, but they disguise a candle or a light bulb well, because it seems more important to them to stay with their own illusions than to face the brutal reality in which Romanian states are in competition with each other or in confrontation with others. And sometimes they confuse friends with enemies or don’t want to restart relationships with those with whom we can and should do it. And if we want to have guaranteed security in the future, and if we want to count on a bigger game. But our political politicians swim near the shore, they are allergic to dolphins, but they want to stroke the bellies of sharks.

From various studies, public opinion polls, reactions in social networks, it is easy to see that Romanians have little trust in political leaders and institutions that represent the nation, including in international relations. How could it be otherwise? Our politicians follow only television news and polls, their main bet is the preservation of power, which gives rise to medieval privileges.

These politicians know that in the last decade (also) in Romania there has been a trend that claims that we are a “colony” of the West, as if we did not become part of this space in which we supposedly wanted to be. of the last two centuries, which flies under the banner of “sovereignism”, forgetting how it was during the time of Ceausescu. Various themes of Putin’s propaganda, aimed at important sections of the population, left at the mercy of manipulators with varying obedience, are covered on the air.

Instead of taking a stand and reliably confronting these problems, mainstream politicians prefer to trample them, to compete with extremists for an electoral segment that is anti-European and anti-patriotic, even as they beat themselves with the brick of nationalism. These people would do anything to gain an advantage in the elections. They have a flair for political tricks, they lack the fabric of political leaders.

It is no secret that we have a modest foreign policy. Because it is no longer a secret for anyone that this is closely related to bad domestic politics. Counter-selection by parties and institutions only brings to the fore mostly mediocre people, at best with insufficient education, always attentive to their personal interests, spending time and energy primarily on the behind-the-scenes games of their own circle, lacking courage, never taking positions that may interfere with those on whom they believe their careers depend, patrons or constituents. Read the whole article and comment on Contribuotrs.ro