Renate Weber on the limits of direct elections

Romanian President Traian Basescu is pushing for the introduction of direct elections for parliamentary elections. He points out that the president is also chosen through direct elections. Renate Weber opposes the move. "The voters' notion that direct elections can reform the political class is easily proved wrong. The problem is not how the members of parliament are elected but how they are held responsible to their voters... The idea that someone who is elected directly rather than via a party list will keep his election promises is oversimplified and unconvincing. Moreover, a comparison with countries that do have direct elections is irrelevant because these are countries where democracy already works... Here in Romania the parties don't work according to agendas, strategies or rules... There is no party discipline or transparency whatsoever. The parties themselves would have to start functioning properly - but direct elections won't solve that problem for them."

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