Laszlo Alexandru

 

“EUROPE’S GIPSIES”?

english version by Axel H. Lenn

In the first decades of the twentieth century, renowned Romanian intellectuals (such as Nicolae Iorga and Vasile Pârvan) were organizing series of conferences abroad, they were establishing academic institutions in France and Italy, they were publishing articles and books in various European languages. In the first years of the twenty-first century, Romanians have become Europe’s nightmare, their name has equaled delinquency, their presence fills other people with disgust. How did this come about? What exactly determined this fall? In order to start curing a disease, one must diagnose it first. Therefore, why are Romanians held in low regard today?

Half a century separates Nicolae Iorga’s death from Nicolae Ceausescu’s execution. This period of time accounts for three successive generations, a bankrupt political doctrine, and a grave disruption of the nation’s ethical fiber. The communist dictatorship cut off any sense of verticality Romanians might have had, turning them toward duplicity, improvised solutions, generalized petty offences and an inhumane treatment for the disfavoured categories (the elderly, women, children). Romanian communism functioned like a huge, tightly closed pot inside which the most repulsive ghetto society flaws could hatch under the tyrannical triumphalism pretence.

The December 1989 revolution brought forth the young idealists’ sacrifice, under the rain of bullets, and a huge step forward for the second rank Nomenklatura figures. However, a new, clean political class could not appear out of the blue. The past communist egalitarianism degenerated into authoritarian and local abuse enclaves. A severe legislation would have prevented illicit capital accumulations, an incorruptible judicial system would have sanctioned any trace of spontaneous capitalism. Unfortunately, justice was thrown in chains. After Romanian communism fell, instead of diminishing, the petty arrangements, street corner delinquency and the unscrupulous disregard for fellow countrymen amplified dramatically. Romanian politicians, who should have intervened in order to reduce these national flaws, have been tolerating them impassively. Since politicians could not provide welfare to their countrymen, the latter were at least allowed to make a fortune by whatever means they could.

Throughout the transition, the judicial system acted as a political servant. Today, offenders go a long way until receiving a final (and ridiculous) verdict, and later they are generously reprieved. Laws are deliberately made permissive – to such an extent, that the US Ambassador in Romania found himself forced to make a public objection. When Romanian politicians start rambling, the absurdities emanated are so astonishing they could be easily included in any anthology of incompetence. Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs suggested establishing work camps in the desert, on another continent. A couple of days later, the Chamber of Deputies President attacked the US Ambassador to Bucharest using a suburban language, because the latter dared criticize Romanian authorities for their callousness. Leading Romanian intellectuals, on one of the few occasions when they joined forces, made an appeal to Romania’s President, Prime Minister, Government, Academy and mass-media, requesting that Vintilă Horia, one of Adolf Hitler’s most fanatic propagandists, be rehabilitated posthumously.

Since Romania’s intellectuals, political class, public system and collective consciousness have such low standards, one cannot expect commoners to aim higher. All these abominable realities we were aware of and politely swept under the carpet have surfaced inevitably due to the free circulation of individuals. In Europe, mentality is not piled up of complicities. Delinquency is not an acceptable lifestyle.  Pocket pilferage is sanctioned by the law, drug traffic is not tolerated, selling newborns is simply bewildering, pointless murder horrifies. Major economic crimes, committed by certain individuals, shed a clear light down the huge – economical, political, psychological, moral – abyss where Romanians have been fumbling about for half a century.

The Molotov cocktail has exploded in Italy, against the background of many concurrent crises. Right wing parties, through Calderoli’s voice, are demanding that the state frontiers be closed. Dictator Mussolini’s grand-daughter continues her family educational line and stigmatizes ethnic groups. Left wing parties won’t lower their voice and push Walter Veltroni into action - who, using an excessively authoritarian tone, launches incendiary statements. Common Italians, however, have a deeply tolerant mentality. They weren’t too anti-Semitic during the Second World War. Later, they welcomed Moroccan and Albanian immigrants in a very sympathetic manner. What do Italians hold against Romanians?

Individual offences should be prosecuted individually. However, creating an ethnic intolerance psychosis at the highest levels and spreading it downwards to the masses is simply intolerable. It is outrageous that the Italian press went as far as tendentiously distorting reality, presenting untrue facts, exaggerating local offenses to international proportions, inventing the portrait of a monstrous people. Have you perchance read, down in Genoa, that there are Al-Qaeda cells training in Romania? (I’m not so sure you have also read the refutation of this preposterousness.) Have you perchance read, down in Venice, that a Romanian citizen was arrested because he carried a dead woman’s body in his trunk? (I’m not so sure you have also read the refutation of this story – the man was a Ukrainian, and his car was registered in Germany.) Have you perchance read that the Italian police broke into a procuress’ hotel room? (I’m not so sure you have also read the refutation of this story, stating that the person in question was actress Laura Vasiliu, whose visit in Italy was actually official; her latest movie received the Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and she is also nominated for an Oscar.)

Romanians still have a long way to go until they see another Nicolae Iorga organizing renowned European conferences and being received with respect and admiration. Hopefully, this process won’t take another 50 years. However, the effort should start here, in Romania, and should address the institutional and political class reformation. This process would initiate a shock wave that could gradually propagate to the farthest corners. On the other hand, the well fed and nicely clothed western world has an equal, not solely moral, obligation not to spit in the eye of those in the gutter. Before victimizing an entire community, nowaday Italians should think hard and remember Saint Francis’ example, a man humble enough to preach in front of birds and lepers. His postmodern followers should try to identify virtue’s ways, without discarding past examples.

(November 2007)