My romanian is very limited (i still haven’t found the time to really start learning) but i can understand a lot of it. Thanks for the kind thought

Your friend is accurate but it really depends a lot on the connection each country has with Romania. The few times i was in Portugal it was clear that people are getting more and more familiar with Eastern Europe, Romania in particular, maybe due to the mass emigration. Unfortunately, not always on a positive note as it always happens when the issue is emigration.

There is still a lot out there as far as a negative view on Romania is concerned. I’ve just linked a programme in my blog this morning about it (http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/default.stm – click on ‘have you missed the latest programme?’). In the Uk (where i live), people are absolutely fascinated with the big bad corrupted boys from Eastern Europe who are coming to the Uk to rob our houses by blowing up doors (they haven’t conceived the idea of romanians using any other ways of breaking entry) and steal our jobs. It’s a sickening point of view that many share.

I don’t think things are necessarily easy for a romanian here, or for a portuguese by the way. So as long you have education you can have a clean shot at applying for the majority of things. It doesn’t always work out but i really believe we do have a chance. However, if you are a skilled manual worker the welcoming note is a completely different one. There is work everywhere. That is not the problem, It’s the respect that is lacking.

But I must add something, not only voting, but also not necessarily voting makes us citizens. I think a good citizen contributes to the life of the society in many ways. Fighting against racism, homophobia, bigotry and standing up for what you believe in all the time makes you a better citizen that the person going to vote every four years and sleeping in between the scrutinies.

Of course, I shall continue to stand up for my rights, against racism, homophobia, bigotry, and so on. But politics per se is a lost cause to me. All politicians are the same, there are no better or worse politicians (the transformation of the liberals speaks for itself). All is hopeless.

Lua,
glad you’ve been reading my blog. You are Portuguese, you said. Do you understand Romanian also? I should post more in English. I also realized that I haven’t once used the word “Romania” or “Romanian” in this post and now I wonder why. I started writing the post wishing to describe the situation to outsiders, but I forgot to mention which is the “inside”.

I definitely think the suspension is anti-constitutional. And it’s frustrating to see that so many people talk about Basescu’s charm, as if it were the subject of the discussion. The truth is that if you read the document that the parliamentary commission put together to justify the suspension you understand that this whole situation is ridiculous and if it weren’t dangerous I would laugh about it. We need to keep focused on the real problem: the measure is not correct and there are other means through which we can change the president if we want to. We just have to follow the laws. Or there’s no telling of what may happen in the future.

Thank you for sharing what’s happening in Portugal as well. A friend of mine was telling me that in Western Europe the press doesn’t write at all about the situations in the Balkans or Eastern Europe. The subject was closed when we entered the EU. Until then there were articles about corruption and immigrants. Now, it’s like we disappeared. And our press is just as shallow: there’s nothing in the papers about other countries besides the France and UK, and nothing from other continents besides America. What the hell?

Granted, i didn’t know that much about how these issues worked in Romania (not that i know that much more now, btw) until my husband (who’s romanian) explained it to me. It’s still sort of alien and hard to understand how such things can take place, even if democratically, like you say, and for reasons, that imo, are just insane. I’m not saying here that the model i have where i come from (Portugal) is better (it’s not!) but presidents can’t get kicked out merely because of political differences (apparently that is the case now, right? I mean, the real reason behind it?)

Moreover, although your constitution allows for such a move, the views taken by the parliament are not necessarily the views shared by every single average Joe out there. Thus, such a decision just strikes me as plain anti – democratic anyway.

Your views about the importance of voting and expressing opinions are spot on. I mean it so much so due to the poverty ‘of mind’ of my own countrymen who appear to think that going to the beach is their contribute to honor the good things their country gives them, not without detriment to try and change the less good things.

Best of luck.

P.s. I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while. Good stuff

But oh, it’s so much easier to sit back and relax, waiting for someone else to change things and whining if the change doesn’t happen at all or if it’s not to your liking. So yeah, we’re free indeed. Free to complain, free to be mad at our leaders, free to hate the country we live in. Not free to stand up and follow ol’ Gandhi’s advice.