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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (90406)	12/13/2004 9:20:22 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793745

The Euroblogs seem to think this is a good move. Traian Basescu, the crowd-puller who hopes to steer Romania into EU The winner of Romania's presidential election, opposition leader Traian Basescu, now has the task of steering his country into the European Union and of tackling endemic corruption. A charismatic man, Basescu, 53, mayor of Bucharest and head of the centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance made the fight against corruption the centrepiece of his election campaign in the battle with his rival, outgoing Prime Minister Adrian Nastase. In the hours before the vote he was calling on Romanians to "rid themselves of the corrupt regime", saying the time was come for "Romania to belong once again to Romanians." Basescu, a former captain in the merchant navy, has been dismissed by rivals as not having the right stuff to become head of state. His reply has been to say that he is capable of coping just as well in a reception room with a head of state as he did on his ship. Charismatic and spontaneous, he contrasts sharply with the majority of Romanian political figures by his frank approach which, according to analysts, is both his principal quality and his main drawback. During the campaign he shocked part of the electorate by announcing he was in favour of gay marriages, a position that earned him a rebuke from the leadership of the Orthodox church, which dominates religious life in Romania. He also accused the heads of western governments of indirectly backing Nastase in exchange for contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars awarded by Bucharest to western companies without the normal process of tendering. During the TV debate with Nastase before the second round he scored points by bringing across his human qualities and his sincerity, and also his strength. "A former naval captain, Basescu is used to having to take decisions quickly and face up to his responsibilities," said political analyst Stelian Tanase. Even though he represents what Tanase called "the world of ports" he has appealed to the Romanian middle classes, to intellectuals and to entrepreneurs. Nastase, nicknamed "the European" drew his support from the most anti-Europe section of society: farm workers, retired people and the unemployed, Tanase said. Basescu, who held the post of transport minister several times between 1991 and 2000, has a reputation for being a determined negotiator both with the unions and international financial organisations. But it is on a soap box, surrounded by the people, that he is in his element, and the crowds are in thrall to his humour -- although occasionally a little raunchy for some tastes -- and his no-frills oratory. Elected mayor of Bucharest in 2000, he was re-elected last June after needing only one round of municipal elections to see off Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana. Married with two daughters, he speaks English and French. eubusiness.com