Professeur d’histoire ancienne à l’université de Bucarest, auteure récemment avec la spécialiste française des Balkans Catherine Durandin d’une étude sur La Roumanie post 1989 (L’Harmattan, 2008, 224 p., 22 €), Zoe Petre est l’une des grandes intellectuelles roumaines dans un pays qui compte de nombreuses élites civiles. Justement, celles-ci viennent de prendre l’initiative d’une lettre ouverte à la Commission européenne au sujet de la grave crise politique et institutionnelle que traverse actuellement le pays. La voici, dans sa version anglaise (lire la suite)

To:

The President of the European Council, His Excellency Herman Achille Van Rompuy

The President of the European Commission, His Excellency Jose Manuel Durao Barroso

The Vice-President of the European Commission, Her Excellency Viviane Reding

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Her Excellency Cecilia Malmstrom

To the Secretary General of the European Commission, Ms. Catherine Day

Bucharest, July 20, 2012

 

Your Excellencies,

 

We are a group of Romanian intellectuals - scholars, academics, and researchers in fundamental, applied, and humanistic sciences, writers, and artists. Some of us are veterans of Romania’s democratic movement, others are representatives of a younger generation, but all of us are ardent defenders of European values. Many of us are not involved in any way in politics; some have various affiliations and sympathies. We express here a non-partisan viewpoint. Our only goal is to defend democratic principles and preserve the rule of law, as we did starting in December 1989.

We are now deeply troubled by external reactions to recent political events in our country. We hope this letter will help to clear up any misconceptions about the current situation and invite dialogue about the way forward. For we are deeply concerned by recent accusations that the Romanian Parliament and Government undermined the rule of law and judicial independence in its attempts to remove President Traian Basescu. It is hard for us to see that outstanding representatives of the European Union expressed a position ignoring a basic principle of law, audiatur et altera pars. This position could only have been arrived at based on misleading or incomplete information about the true nature of the situation within Romania.

 

Please allow us to draw upon our scholarly expertise and intimate knowledge of the political climate to present a few brief points: 

• The Constitutional Court of Romania is not part of Romania’s independent judicial structure. Rather, it is a politically-appointed institution, and its exclusive vocation is to arbitrate in constitutional matters.
• The Constitutional Court recognized that, in substituting the role of the Prime Minister, President Basescu transgressed the basic principle of the separation and balance of powers. The government became in fact responsible not before the Parliament, as it is in all the democratic European Countries, but actually before the President, as in the Russian Federation. The Parliament tended to become a void shell when the ruling majority was not allowed to cast its votes whenever there was a risk  of a dissident opinion. As such, his suspension from office by the Parliament is in conformity with the Romanian constitution, and will be confirmed or not by a general referendum, organized in the strictest respect of the law.

 

President Basescu speaks openly and freely about his role as a player, in spite of the fact that such a role is contrary to the constitutional definition of the Romanian president as a mediator.

Other recent incidents confirm our fears concerning the way in which president Basescu understands his competences:

• In 2009, the parliament voted a motion of censure against the current government, which was dismissed by law. The President refused to recognize the proposal of the majority, as was his due, and did not appoint as Prime Minister the Mayor of the City of Sibiu, Mr. Klaus Johannis, supported by a large majority, but prorogated instead the dismissed government only to be sure that a favorable team will organize his re-election as President of Romania. 

 

• The President declared live in an interview on TV that he had appointed by his own will both the heads of the Secret Services, who by law have to be appointed by the Parliament; recently, he added that he “almost made his mind” about the future General Attorney, who by law is proposed by the Minister of Justice, with the support of the independent Superior Council of the Magistrates.

 

• Only a few days ago, the President told a reporter on TV that, when the German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked him if the Romanian Constitution contains any procedure of suspension from office of the President, he answered that  it does not. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue, but how can we put our country’s fate in such hands? The article 95 of the Romanian  constitution is explicit, and defines the procedure of suspension, from its initiation to the end of the process; the fact that the German - or any other European constitution does not is of no consequence in the matter.

 

That is why, over the last few years, average Romanians have become increasingly distressed by the actions taken by President Basescu and his associates. Voters elected his government and himself based on a platform of justice, fairness, and welfare for citizens. Instead, the President in person played his executive role when he initiated savage cuts of the wages and pensions of millions of teachers, soldiers, medical practitioners, judges, and civil servants, decimating the emergent middle class. At the same time, the public funds which paid the patrons of the dominating party increased year by year, in defiance of the general rhetoric of austerity. 

 

Perhaps even more troubling were the manifestations of intolerance among some of the supporters of the President. Not a few leaders of the President’s party declared that the Roma minority of Romania was “genetically programmed” to break the laws. We are constantly told —echoing the president himself—that the European ideal of a society that guarantees a decent life for all is obsolete, and should be replaced by a “competitive” society in which only the fittest and the strongest survive. This brutal form of Social Darwinism is opposed to the democratic values of the European Union that we so eagerly embraced in the last twenty years.

 

These are only a few of the recent events that sparked citizen demonstrations last winter in more than 60 Romanian cities. This popular rejection of intolerance and economic disparity will culminate in our referendum on 29 July. We sincerely hope this referendum will prove that democratic ideals are deeply rooted in Romanian society, vibrant and full of life.

 

We truly appreciate the time and care you give to considering the context we present above regarding Romania’s political climate at this delicate time. We hope that your statements of support in favor of the Romanian democracy will likewise reflect such complex facts, and that together we may pursue our common interest in a democratic, prosperous, and tolerant future both for Romania, and for the European Union.  

 

With our outmost consideration,

 

Nicolae Anastasiu, PhD, professor emeritus, member of the Romanian Academy

 

Liviu Antonesei, PhD, professor, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, « Al. I .Cuza » University Iasi ; writer and journalist.

 

Vasile Astarastoae, Dr., Dr. Med, prof. univ., President of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy  « Gr. T. Popa », Iasi, Chairperson, Colegiul Medicilor din Romania – « Council of Physicians in Romania ».

 

Horia Barna, writer, translator

 

Vlad Bedros, PhD, assistant professor, National University of Arts, Bucharest

 

Corina Bernic, writer, translator, Cultural manager for Central and East Europe, a programme of the Robert Bosch Stiftung

 

Andrei Bodiu, PhD, writer

 

Valentin – Victor Bottez, PhD, lecturer, Department of Ancient History, Archaeology and History of Art, Faculty of History, University of Bucharest

 

Romulus Brancoveanu, PhD, professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

 

Bianca Burta-Cernat, literary critic

 

Anca Calangiu, philologist, translator

 

Ileana Cazan, PhD, senior researcher, deputy chair, Romanian Academy, Institute of History”Nicolae Iorga”, Bucharest.

 

Paul Cernat, literary critic

 

Marius Chelcu, PhD, Romanian Academy, "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History,  Iaşi

.

Mihai Chioveanu, PhD, associate professor, Department Political Sciences, delegate of Romania in the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research.

 

Mirana Cioba, PhD, associate professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Litterature, Chair of Ibero-Romance languages, University of Bucharest.

 

Alin Ciupala, PhD, associate professor, Department of Romanian History, University of Bucharest

 

Razvan  Constantinescu, DrMed., University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Gr.T. Popa”, Iasi, Center for Gastroenterology and Hepatology

 

Emanuel  Copilas, Ph.D., assitant professor, Department of Political Sciences, “Universitatea de Vest” Timisoara

 

Marius Costa, DrMed., physician

 

Anni Costa, independent journalist

 

Eugen Cuteanu, Dr. Eng.

 

Dorin David, researcher, “Transilvania” University Brasov

 

Iarina Demian, actress, director, writer.

 

Georgeta Dimisianu, independent publicist, editor

 

Nicolae Iordan-Constantinescu, PhD, associate professor, Banking and Finance University, Bucharest

 

Octavian G. Duliu, PhD, professor, Department of Physics, University of Bucharest

 

Serban Foarţă, writer

 

Ildiko Gabor -Foarţă, psychologist, translator

 

Monica Ghetz, PhD, writer

 

Marius Ghilezan, writer

 

Cristian E. Ghita, PhD, post-doctoral researcher, University of Bucharest

 

Mihai Dinu Gheorghiu, PhD, professor, « Al. I .Cuza » University Iasi

 

Mihaela Grancea, PhD, professor, « Lucian Blaga » University, Sibiu

 

Andreea Grecu, PhD, cultural manager, Association of Cultural Operators from Romania

 

Ladislau Gyemant, PhD, professor, Director of the Institute for Judaistic, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj

 

Constantin Hlihor,  PhD, Dean of the Department of History, Christian University "Dimitrie Cantemir", Bucharest

 

Octavian Hoandra, writer, independent journalist

 

Adrian Paul Iliescu. PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

 

Eugen Ionescu, DrMed., Hospices Civils de Lyon

 

Corina Iosif, PhD, senior researcher, Romanian Academy, Institute of Ethnography, Cluj – Napoca

 

Florin Lazarescu, writer

 

Ion Bogdan Lefter, PhD, literary critic, cultural and political analyst, writer, professor,

Department of Letters, University of Bucharest

 

Sabin Adrian Luca, PhD, professor, “Lucian Blaga” University, General Director, Brukenthal Museum, Sibiu

 

Ecaterina Lung, PhD, professor, Department of Ancient History, Archaeology and History of Art, University of Bucharest

 

Coman Lupu, PhD Department of Foreign Languages and Litterature, Chair of Ibero-Romance languages, University of Bucharest

 

Alexandru Mamina PhD, senior researcher, Romanian Academy, Institute of History ”Nicolae Iorga”, Bucharest

 

Sorin Marculescu, writer

 

Tudor A. Marian, PhD, professor emeritus of Physics,  University of Bucharest

 

Paulina Marian,  PhD, professor of Physics,  University of Bucharest

 

Alexandra Mitrea, PhD, Associate professor, Dean, Department of
Letters and Arts, “Lucian Blaga” University, Sibiu

 

Andrei Muraru, lecturer, « Al. I. Cuza » University, Iasi

 

Oana Murarus, PhD, professor, Department of Letters, University of Bucharest

 

Marina Muresanu Ionescu, PhD, professor, Department of French Language and Literature, University « Al. I .Cuza »  Iasi

 

Carmen Musat, PhD, associate prfessor, Department of Letters, University of Bucharest ; editor in chief, “Observatorul Cultural” Bucharest

 

Lucian Nastasa-Kovács, PhD, Romanian Academy, Institute of History "George Baritiu", Cluj

 

Victor Neumann, PhD, professor, Department of Letters, History and Theology, Director of the Doctoral School of Conceptual History„Reinhart Koselleck” Universitatea de Vest, Timișoara

Viorica Niscov, independent researcher, translator

 

Gheorghe Vlad Nistor, PhD, professor, Department of Ancient History, Archaeology and History of Art, University of Bucharest

 

Cristian Olariu, Ph.D., Associate professor, Department of Ancient History, Archaeology and History of Art, Faculty of History, University of Bucharest

 

Marius Oprea, PhD, Chairperson of the Department for Special Investigations, Institute for Investigating the Crimes of Communism and the Memory of the Romanian Exile

 

Alexandru Pecican, theatre and film director

 

Ovidiu Pecican, PhD, professor, European Studies Faculty, Baves-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, member of the National Council of the Romanian Union of Writers

 

Emanuel Petac, PhD, Senior reseacher, Library of the Romanian Academy, Numismatic Department

 

Zoe Petre, PhD, professor emeritus of Ancient History, University of Bucharest

 

Zeno Karl PINTER, PhD, Correspondent Member, Deutsches Archaeologisches Instituts (DAI), President of the National Romanian Comission for Archaeology

 

Cristian Pîrvulescu, PhD, professor, National School of Political and Administrative Sciences, President Pro Democratia

 

Ioan-Aurel Pop, PhD, Member of the Romanian Academy, Rector of the Babes Bolyai University. Cluj – Napoca

 

Grigore Popescu Arbore, Ph. D., Chief Technology Officer, The National Research Council / CNR, Institute of Marinne Sciences / ISMAR, Venice – Italy

 

Simona Popescu, PhD, writer, assistant professor, Department of Letters, University of Bucharest

 

Iulia Popovici independent literary critic

 

Mihai Retegan, PhD, DHC Ovidius University, Constanta, professor, Department of Romanian History, University of Bucharest

 

Zoltan Rostas, PhD, professor, Univeristy of  Bucharest

 

Michael Shafir, PhD, professor emeritus, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj

 

Cezar Sigmirean, PhD, University "Petru Maior", Targu-Mures

 

Elena Șaulea, PhD,  associate professor, National University of Theatral and Cinematographical Art, Bucharest

 

Ovidiu Simonca, journalist, deputy editor in chief, “Observator cultural”

 

Monica Spiridon, PhD, habilit. , prof. univ., University of Bucharest, Member  of Academia Europea, Vicepresident of  the  International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA), Chair to the  Experts Panel of Literature, European Science Foundation ( Program ERIH), Member of The European Pool of Reviewers, Evaluator of the European Research Council (" Bringing Great Ideas to Life", Panel SH5)

 

Filip Stanciu, PhD, Rector, “Lumina” University, Bucharest

Cornel Apostol Stanescu, former General Director for Higher Education and Academic Research, Ministry of Education

 

Constantin Stoenescu, PhD, professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Bucharest.

Liviu Ioan Stoiciu, writer, publicist

 

Alexandru Suceveanu, PhD, emeritus vice-director, Romanian Academy Inastitute of Archaeology “Vasile Parvan”, Bucharest

 

Stelian Tanase, PhD, professor of Political Science, University of Bucharest, writer

 

Antoaneta Tanasescu, PhD, professor, Department of Letters,  University of Bucharest

 

Nicolae Serban Tanaşoca, PhD, professor, National University of Art, Bucharest, Director of the Institutute for South-East European Studies,  Romanian Academy

 

Lucian Dan Teodorovici, writer

 

Zoltan Tibori Szabo, PhD, senior researcher, associate professor, Department of Political Science, Administration and Communcation, “Babes-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca

 

Nicolae Toboşaru, PhD, associate professor, University of Oradea, director, profesor asociat la Universitatea din Oradea,Graduate Studies in European Security

 

Florin Turcanu, PhD, professor of Political Science, University of Bucharest

 

Silviu Vacaru, PhD, researcher, Romanian Academy, Institute of History "A.D. Xenopol",  Iasi

 

Alexa Visarion, PhD, theatre director

 

Viorel Vizureanu, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Bucharest.

 

Laurentiu Vlad, PhD, professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Bucharest

 

Felicia Waldman, PhD, assistant professor, University of Bucharest

 

Daniela Zaharia, PhD, assistant professor Department of Ancient History, Archaeology and History of Art, University of Bucharest