Former King Mihai I turns 90 in October. He is the last of the remaining leaders during WWII alive. Controversial personality, praised by some, criticized by others – King Mihai I is part of Romania’s history and is accepted by the modern society. The royal family has regained properties in Romania and lives a quiet life, interrupted only by president Traian Basescu’s ideological excesses – he called King Mihai I traitor several months ago, for abdicating under Soviet pressure in 1947.
The parliament gave its approval on Tuesday for Mihai I to deliver a speech in parliament on 25th October, on his birthday. But things hadn’t worked smoothly. Ruling democrat-liberals opposed the liberal proposal in this regard, saying only heads of state can take advantage of this legislative opportunity. Obviously, no PDL member wanted to have a different stand than Mr. Basescu. It’s dangerous from their political point of view…
Well, PDL vice-president Toader Paleologu has overcome the trend and called on democrat-liberals to vote for the King’s speech, telling them: shame on you! The result: several PDL MPs voted for, the rest abstained.
I’m saying the world has turned upside down as the right wing parties were supposed to support the king. The social-democrats were the king’s enemies after 1990.
In December 1990 the royal family landed on Otopeni airport, but was expelled by post-communist authorities. In April 1992 King Mihai I spent Easter in Romania with domestic authorities’ approval. In 1994 is declared persona non grata by the ruling post-communists and the then president Ion Iliescu. In 1997 he gets Romanian passport from the newly installed ruling democratic convention. On 10th March 2011 the then president Ion Iliescu makes a historic gesture of reconciliation towards King Mihai I, inviting him officially to come to Romania. The letter was addressed ‘Sire.’
The incumbent social-democrat leader Victor Ponta considers the invitation addressed to Kinh Mihai I to address the parliament as a gesture of normality. On the other hand, the so-called ‘enlightened’ democrat-liberals opposed! Just because Mr. Basescu has some odd (using a gentle word) personal opinions on the matter.
The world has really turned upside down. I wonder: are these (democrat-liberals) the open-minded people we need to rule us? The above mentioned example comes to prove, once more, they’re just opportunists. Nothing more.
Hope is dead! Long live stupidity!
Maxy