A Lesson in Politics
The Crisis of State in Romania
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The European Union Commission and Western governments protested against the attempt to unseat Romanian President Traian Basescu. Many sensed a coup by Prime Minister Victor Ponta, something the Romanian Constitutional Court was able to prevent at the last minute. This crisis was the culmination of a protracted conflict between the government and the president, a conflict in which personal power and political influence are at stake. Institutions such as the Constitutional Court are politicized and are being exploited. Romanians’ trust in politics has been shaken, Romania's reputation in the world damaged.
(Osteuropa 9/2012, pp. 15–36)