When speaking about the first years of World War 2, historians and military analysts always mention in wonder what came to be known as the strange campaign, in September 1939 – May 1940, when German forces counted a number of large scale military wins owing, as it is the case particularly with the one in Poland, to the fact that French – British Allies lacked the courage – or the... 

Romanian journalists’ independence is threatened. The freedom of expression and, more importantly, the journalists’ freedom to inform citizens on the actual Romania they live in are on the verge of being suspended just now, when authorities should pass an (acid test) prove to European officials that the country is capable of joining the European Union in 2007. Censuring the free press in... 

The time when the Social Democrat Party (PSD) was comfortably leading in opinion polls has gone. The ruling party returned to the first position after the drop that followed the local elections, yet the margin, of just a few percentage points, to the National Liberal Party (PNL) -Democrat Party (PD) D.A. Alliance keeps it under pressure until the elections day. The battle will be particularly tighter... 

That in the Romanian politics the king is naked has long ago stopped being a surprise for anyone, and if the fact in itself doesn’t strike us as grotesque would be the proof of a cheerful society.And the most recent political events are tale telling in this respect. Primary elections, alliances, statements and replies make up the image of a very busy and effervescent public space, but, at a second... 

The ruling party, PSD, is one step away from reiterating in November 2004 the electoral failure reported in the local elections this June. Its main opponent, the “Justice and Truth” PNL-PD Alliance (D.A. Alliance), a right-of-centre organisation, has proved – it’s true, only this year – that it is capable of answering the voters’ expectations: raising living standards... 

In the first weekend of October the Opposition managed to deal a decisive blow to the Power, by changing, in a skilful move, more or less planned, the rules of the game, and braking through the media bloskage that it had been subject to, for so long, by the subdued mass media. On this occasion, Romania was faced with a TV novelty. The first time that a political leader cried, live on all TV channels…... 

Much to the surprise of many, the leaders of PNL and PD, joined in the Justice and Truth Alliance (D.A), managed to finalise this summer the electoral lists for the Parliament and, even more importantly, the governance programme. The two projects will be made public in September. Contrary to the unequivocal expectations of PSD leaders, contrary to opinions persistently voiced in July and August by... 

he local elections lessened PSD’s status as the quasi-dominant party in the Romanian political arena. First time in four years, a true political alternative was established (the D.A. Alliance, made up of PNL – the National Liberal Party and PD – the Democrat party). PSD is losing ground in polls, the latest of which shows – a novelty in the 19th Century – that the Alliance... 

he result, below expectations, achieved by PSD in the local elections was accounted for mainly by the party’s poor performance in the electoral campaign. It is well known however that a party’s image is built in the long run, and only in exceptional cases can the electoral campaign have a decisive influence on the vote.In the local elections, PSD lost votes not particularly because of its... 

Once every four years, we are invited to take part, as helpless spectators, and then as apparent decision-makers, in the political ritual of the electoral campaign, in the elections game. Although the law stipulates a certain period of time for the electoral campaign, the entire year 2004 appears to be under the sign of this autumn’s elections, as voters find themselves in the awkward position...