President Basescu after six months since taking office

(Initially published in http://www.romania-report.ro/ - Jun 22, 2005)

Bucharest, June 22 – In an interview with 'Romania Libera' daily, Traian Basescu provides significant hints on his half-year performance as Romania's President.

Excerpts from Romanian President's interview with 'Romania Libera':

Overnight changes are not productive

Q: Most of us expected that, once the Democrat-Liberal alliance took power, changes would have had to be performed regarding top executives in justice system, intelligence services, and in other state bodies. You preferred instead to provide a six months 'grace term' to those above. What was the rationale behind this strategy?

Traian Basescu: I wanted to bring about the perception that state institutions should not be the object of an endless political infringement. We must put an end to this habit of ousting high ranking public servants only because they don't have the same political colour with us, those in power. On another hand, at the Presidential level we are dealing with replacing chiefs of some state structures of an utmost importance. Such decisions cannot be performed overnight – they need o lot of thinking, assessment and when the decision is taken, it is taken in full awareness of the system. And when replacing someone you also must be sure that you have nominated the right person – who, in his turn, would provide the required changes. This was the reason I thought it is wiser not to sack immediately and 'in corpore', but to wait and see, to assess and eventually to send the Parliament requests regarding top-level replacements in intelligence services or in other state bodies that, according to the law, fall under the Presidential direction.

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No political infringement over the justice process

Q: Charges were pressed against the former President Ion Iliescu regarding the street riots in June 13-15, 1990. Some analysts said prosecutors acted under political command.

Traian Basescu: I think that many fellow citizens still do not understand what is going on. It seems by now that I am closer to the target of providing the real freedom of the justice system – and this is actually happening at all levels, no matter if we deal with charges regarding "miners' riots" or regarding economic crimes. Many say Traian Basescu is behind all these judicial actions – actually there is no prosecutor and no judge I should have asked to act on a specific court case. I only tried to provide the judicial bodies with confidence that they are free to pursue any priorities they would have considered as best. And I have tried to assure them that there will not be any political infringement. We are now able to see the results of such approach – nevertheless there are still many to provide conspiracy scenarios, but these are speculations emerging from a social body which is not healthy yet. We still suffer from a "scenarios disease", the syndrome according to which the political power is still infringing the justice system.

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Q: Are we to expect spectacular court trials? Are there any "big sharks" brought to justice these days?

Traian Basescu: I don't know. The rule of law is the only thing I am continuously asking from the judiciary. In fact, the rule of law is the missing pillar which prevents us from having a real democracy. For the rest, we have the law framework in place and we have the wishful thinking as about democratic values. We still have a big problem: judiciary is not functioning as it should in order that the rule of law reigns in our country.

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Foreign policy

Q: When you said Romania's priority is to get closer links with Washington and London, some pointed out that you have forgotten major European powers.

Traian Basescu: It is crystal clear that, from our point of view, we have unsolved problems regarding the national security. Romania is located at the borders of NATO and EU. When advancing eastward from these borders, one would find a region of frozen conflicts – that is an extremely dangerous and politically volatile region. This issue strongly asks for closer ties with USA and UK. As about the links with Europe we have a perfect relationship – as perfect as it might be, taking into account the present EU's own problems. This two folded foreign policy has, therefore, its actual reasons as Romania must pursue utmost national interests. I will give you a strait proof: at the time being, even the European states need US partnership in matter of national security; therefore I do not see why Romania should not need such a partnership. Q: You have recently mentioned a future cooperation with some Arab countries. How do you think that our present partners will perceive this strategy? TB: From the Romania's interest viewpoint, our country actually needs new markets, other than the EU's – where we still cannot compete with local economies. Therefore opening a new politic and economic stage towards the Arab world cannot be but helpful for us. Traditionally, Romania had a market share in the Arab countries and now we should revive this presence.

Romania's EU accession treaty will be observed

Q: Which was the most important message you have got in Brussels, last week?

Traian Basescu: The message saying that Romania will join the EU and that the accession treaty will be observed – I have received this message from French President Jacques Chirac, German leader Gerhard Shroeder, British MP Tony Blair, and Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi. There is no European leader to state that "we shall not observe Romania's accession treaty." (..) I can tell you that, there exists the feeling (among European leaders) that Romania swiftly started to overcome its drawbacks on the issues of fight against corruption and modernising judiciary system according to EU standards. I can assure you that we shall go all the way in solving these issues. In fact, our citizens know that I use to achieve my tasks. I shall not be partner in some cheep comedy. I have no right to fail chiefly because of the 22 million Romanians who are looking forward a modern state, a performing country, and on my account I shall do everything in my power to attain such a goal – to provide them with the means to live in a modern Romanian state.

Romania Report – according to 'Romania Libera' daily newspaper