The
people of Romania have been demonstrating on the streets for the least 15 days
or so. The rallying cry is against official corruption, the abuse of power the
elected authorities exert for their own advantage and enrichment. And there are
plenty of cases: thousands of accusations have been made by the special
prosecutor and her office since 2013. People want the current government, led
by the Social Democrats to leave office. This government has tried to save from
the justice quite a number of past politicians who have been accused of
corruption.
As
I see the masses on the streets, braving the extreme weather conditions, I come
to the conclusion that a number of points should be underlined. They must make
us think.
The
prosecution is headed by a very brave woman, Laura Codruta Kovesi. She is in
charge of the anti-corruption agency, which comprises a good number of young
lawyers and prosecutors. Kovesi has shown that leadership, honesty and modesty
can change a country.
The
political parties have no role in the popular mobilization. They have been side-lined,
overtaken. This is civil society in action. There are no stars, no street
leaders. It´s citizen’s power at its best.
The
traditional media has also been overtaken. The information is shared through
social networks. It´s faster, free of charge, and much more creative and closer
to the people´s concerns. The established press comes later, just to pick the
information and report about the events. But plays no role in the heat of the
action.
Many
of those on the streets are young people with a good level of education and a
higher level of social frustration. Their participation creates some hope that
change might happen.
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