PostCommunist, NeoEuropean elections: some thoughts on Romanian local elections

I've been living in Romania since last February, trying, amongst other things, to understand national political system, ideology, civic culture... It's quite complicated (and risky) to draw opinions in any country social life, being new, being an outsider. Anyhow...

This Sunday (1st June) were local elections (first round, second round when needed, as happened in Bucharest, will be held on 15th June); national elections will be held in Autumn.

That means that I have suffered a colourful elections in acity split in 6 municipalities, everyone with its mayor, plus a general mayor to be elected. Imagine that one side of the Thames is ruled by one chap, and the other side by other... That's Bucharest. Now, imagine you have to decide on the future of the bus that links both riversides... That's Bucharest.

Anyway... Colourful: 7-8 parties with enough money to campaign around, with coulourful posters (red, three types of red, a brigt yellow, light blue...). Political programmes? I couldn't find real proposals on their webpages: all candidates belonged to the "I'm not going to steal like them, I'm green, I'm near you" party. A colourful political circus. By the wayk, if you want to meet the clown, I recommend you a wiki-reading: Gigi Becali

Meanwhile the actor in the construction playfield where I'm currently involved professionally where quiet but moving: either getting their projects signed before change, or waiting for the goddammit elections to see some movement in all the projects that had ben paralized since February-March. That's usual local and national politics, by the way, no typical Romanian here.

So here we are: 1st of June ended, new mayors here, new mandates for old ones there, second round stand byes now and then... In the news, a lot of data reading, some scandal (punctual poll problems) that seemed bigger on TV as they repeated it all over and over again. Low rate of political analysis, appart from some Traian Basescu (President) vs. Calin Popescu (Prime Minister) never ending discussion. So, without any local commentator I trust yet (blame my ignorance), I'm still left on my own in this.

So, let's back to the data, at least one clear data. National electoral turnout: 46,59%. Bucharest electoral turnout: less than 35%.

I'm not boring you with theories on first-rate elections and second-rate elections... I will just tell you that I was the most surprised on such a low participation, and the lack of reaction on such a low participation, that must be thus considered as normal here. Either Romanians doesn't think on local elections as first-rate, important ones, or they doesn't feel any implication in the system... or both.

I only know that such a result would be a great scandal in Spain, and I hope that not only in Spain, but in some other countries... Here it isn't.

PostCommunist Romania is different from other PostCommunist countries (i.e. Russia) where people might vote more, but anyway in a large extent vote for the government option, without considering there's a choice.... However, Romanian political culture, quite the opposite, doesn't seem much moe possitive to me...

And I then I began thinking on those that lost illusion on "regular" democracy and ask for abstention, saying that if the day nobody goes voting the change will come, political class will change, so on.
I'm not myself in a "God bless liberal democracy" mood lately, quite deceived by so many things, but I was thinking these days... If someday in Spain only 30% of electors go to vote, shall it be the scandal we hope, or will it be the end of an growing apathy process, life going on and no change at all? Because I have just read that this is the worst participation rate since 1989 in Romania, and life does go on, too much.

Dunno, yet today my most pessimistic views prevail. I wish you all better thoughts.