Traian Basescu is very present on the small screen. He isn't missing one talk show or one channel. He speaks up every time he pleases. But he doesn't want to do it every time, but just when he has to protect famous Elena Udrea, although it is he who pushes her from behind. The 'third note' is the exception. This wasn't plotted in the very clever political lab of Cotroceni Palace. It was ZIUA who produced this third note. But even when he isn't pushing her, Basescu pops up on the small screen to stand by his successor. It's true, you have read it right. Let me explain my associating of recuperating Basescu and Udrea as successor at Cotroceni Palace, recuperating as well. Some time ago when Basescu wasn't having such hard times because of the opposition, when he was on the rise, busy with tough critique of his political adversaries and getting reliable support from Elena Udrea, an envoy sent by the lodger of Cotroceni Palace reached New York. He was a member of the mid line in the PD (Democrat Party). He will recognize himself in the story I am telling and maybe he will soon uncover the 'Udrea-President operation'. If not, there are witnesses as far as he and Basescu are concerned, unfortunately. The head of state himself committed the man to buy the most important works of political sciences from New York bookshops. Given the Romanian President's poor education, the origin of his chaotic and almost exclusively discursive initiatives, some reading would do good. One could only appreciate the idea to fetch some more significant works of political management to the bookshelves in Cotroceni Palace. This is why the New York diplomat the Democrat envoy asked for support was glad to help and proved cooperative. But he was greatly surprised when the PD guy told him a sensational detail in a fit of sincerity: the works weren't for Basescu. The head of state wanted the precious books bought for Elena Udrea to use them. At that time she was his adviser. It was not bad, anyway. Even if because of his age the boss can't start to study thoroughly and prefers real life knowledge with scotch on the rocks, it was no bad thing that he provided adviser Elena with what she didn't have. But the real surprise is yet to come. The works weren't bought on this purpose. They weren't for the present, but for the future. A long time before turning into a recuperating president, the president-player thought Elena Udrea would take over presidency, as at that time she hadn't unveiled her true identity publicly. He thought she would come next, after he would have carried out the two mandates permitted by the Constitution. This is the very reason why the Basescu-Udrea tandem got rid of Mona Musca when the latter looked like a Liberal eligible for presidency and she could become an opponent of the Cotroceni blond. In the early 2005 Basescu didn't make it a secret to his good friends that Udrea would get help to become the first woman president in Romania's history. There are some details about this bizarre tandem that we can't grasp, at least for the time being. We don't know, for instance, if after this event Elena Udrea has found the time to start studying. Or will she do this in the tranquility to come due to the future suspension of the president? We neither know if the view of Traian Basescu, who wanted to head Romania for more than two mandates via Elena, is the same with the view of Udrea herself. In case of victory in the 2014 elections, she may be willing to deny Traian and be on her own, as a recuperating president.

Sorin ROSCA STANESCU