Motto: "Before becoming history and even before taking place, a lot of major events are prepared in laboratories" Dan Voiculescu and PUR (the Romanian Humanist Party) have lately been both gravediggers and saviors: they have been making use of the same move as UDMR (the Democrat Union of Hungarians in Romania). But it seems that the loser is in fact PSD (the Social - Democrat Party), that is Adrian Nastase, who has functioned as vehicle to help PUR make it to the Parliament. Adrian Nastase failed presidential elections. On the other hand, Traian Basescu is a very stubborn political player, able to take up crazy political fight all on his own. And therefore the PSD leader finds his allies leaving him one by one. Great Britain has got a famous saying to describe this: It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back. The poor beast is more than burdened so that a lost insignificant straw can sweep him off his feet. Adrian Nastase is now like a camel crossing the desert after a stormy electoral year and PUR is the haunch in the back. A last strike, therefore. It can be decisive. Let's see what and how it happened. Unlike UDMR, which would have made it to the Parliament anyway without political support from PSD, the Romanian Humanist Party was doomed to reach no Parliament at all. But Dan Voiculescu is a smart player and in the last minute he took the last card out of his sleeve: his media empire. And he put it to brilliant use. He got a huge price from Adrian Nastase The latter offered him 3o eligible positions in the Parliament and made all sorts of promises with view to the future ruling: one second PM position, 2 minister portfolios and many other things. At that time I was writing that, Voiculescu's attitude was excellent, especially that many PUR members, first of all the mayor of Bacau, left the party in protest, just as expected. And they joined the Alliance. Nastase made a huge offer and got only a part of what he was supposed to get in exchange. But the mess was just beginning. Generally speaking, the doctrine of PUR and of Professor Dan Voiculescu is closer to the Liberals' than to a left party such as PSD. But their desire to get Parliament representation made them put up with compromise. Then there was the illusion that PSD could lead them to rule. After oscillating for a while, this illusion made Voiculescu and his Humanists vote just as Nastase's party when electing the presidents of the two Parliament chambers. They practically left the Alliance in minority. But in the meantime it became obvious that Traian Basescu would fight till the end, according to the view of Adrian Patrusca, ZIUA editor-in-chief, contradicting my own view. And Dan Voiculescu packed bags and joined the Alliance yesterday. He thought the Alliance would give them more chances to seize power. This is what Napoleon Bonaparte told about his foreign affairs minister, famous Talleyrand, who had changed lots of kings and emperors with no difficulty: "This Talleyrand sells his buyer." As for PUR, the message is as simple as ABC: who betrays once will betray a second time as well. And a third time. And so on and do forth. But apart from the immoral message - and there are so many immoral things in politics -, it is interesting to see the effects of such a sensational transfer. D.A. ("Truth and Justice") Alliance won in exchange and on the edge. It managed to get parliamentary majority allowing it a government of another type than a minority one, a government that can get invalidated or sacked any minute. Still the new Executive is going to be algorithm - based, but lacking powerful parliamentary basis. The Alliance it not in control yet. As for PSD, things are getting rather dramatic. This Parliament change might lead to new presidents of the two chambers. Vacaroiu and Nastase's positions are under threat. But it is Nastase who has got more suffering to go through. From now on, PSD risks losing even the frail gain it got by means of negotiations after parliamentary elections. And all his enemies will throw all the dirt on him, since PUR is sure to have planned it wrong. With or without the Humanists, PSD and Nastase would have got the same score and would not have lost 30 MP positions. His PSD enemies will never forgive him for it. From now on, there will be open, cruel war between Nastase and Iliescu's group. Nastase asked for it!

Sorin ROSCA STANESCU