Coup leaves Romanians cold

In Romania the ruling coalition on Tuesday deposed the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, replacing them with appointees from its own ranks. It now plans to present parliament with a resolution on an impeachment process against Băsescu by the end of the week. The daily România Liberă is surprised at the lack of reaction from the Romanians and Europe to this power struggle: "The transformation of Parliament into a business that merely uses its authority to place the entire state power in the hands of the duo [comprised of the National Liberal leader] Antonescu and [Prime Minister] Ponta is not particularly worrying to anyone: neither the weak civil society nor the Romanian people are bothered by these developments. Such underhanded coups are traditionally accepted with fear or indifference, but always calmly. In fact the only voices that are speaking out on the parliamentary dictatorship that is being established in Romania come from the Internet. ... The leaders of the European Union, who look on from a distance at the spectacle of the watering down of our constitutional state, also remain silent. ... After all, what is Romania but a sick, exotic country on the outskirts of Europe?"

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