by Laurențiu Ștefan

This is somehow a follow-up to the previous post – a reaction to recent developments. First of all we see that things are (seemingly) moving at a fast speed between PNL and PDL, with PDL being ready to fade away into a bigger party called PNL. Someone close to the negotiations told me today that practically there is no other option as alliances are a thing of the past. They did no deliver. They have been formed but did not function. And the mention was again to CDR, ADA (PNL-PD) and USL. Implicitly, it was suggested that they have been failed political projects – never to be brought back to life.

On the other hand, we saw today significant steps to an inclusion of the Popular Party – Dan Diaconescu (PP-DD) into the governing alliance. One may have been surprised to read about the portfolios that would have to be given away to (or created for) the PP-DD. Does the majority (arguably not that strong: less than 55 percent) need the few votes in the Parliament that PP-DD can still deliver? The short answer is no, and we may be deluded if we watch only the national level. This alliance is useful at the local level, where – one may say – the real power is. Giving government portfolios is the best way to lock in a party that still has a critical mass of local and county councilors throughout the country. Alliances may be outdated as a means of creating strong political forces, but are an excellent expedient when power is changing hands rapidly.