Once home, Mr. Traian Basescu mentioned in the very National Day that Romania had problems, many problems. If my memory is good, one evening before that failed referendum he claimed one reason for it was the number of criminal ministers or of minister with weak brains or, in the best case, with poor knowledge of things. If we take both statements seriously, one question emerges: which of the two Romanias is the real one? If Romanian's partners find the right answer, then they will know with whom to negotiate on contracts and set future programmes. In such case, there are three possibilities. The first is to think that the communist propaganda system, making the "foreign image" , whereas things were disastrous at home, can still continue once a country is a member of the NATO and the EU. But it can't continue! The second one is that the main decision making political factors abroad should be in an unpleasant, aberrant situation and choose a Romanian interlocutor from the two sides now at overt war. The third possibility, also unpleasant and saddening, would be to arrange etiquette welcome for the head of state, but talk to the government's representatives about the country's problems. Of course this latter possibility is now in use, for things are desperate. But the harm done to Romania's credibility is huge. Unless they find a domestic solution for survival, the difficulties we are facing are just beginning. These difficulties aren't related to the daily confrontation between Basescu's team and Tariceanu's. Romania's trouble with foreign credibility emerged (and it has been amplifying ever since) when the President and PM started to accuse each other of crimes, thus showing the EU and the whole world that the entire political and administrative system in Romania worked like at times of crisis, handling only current matters, with everyone waiting for the final attack and for one of the two sides to take over. We have got to a very dangerous moment, as in Western offices there is one question that emerges very often: Whom do we trust from Romania? Which message is the right one? Which information do we count on, as it comes from official sources in opposition in Bucharest? Is Romania a predictable country? According to the staff in EU institutions, there can be no worse nightmare than the one Romania is fueling on and on, as if unaware of it: a country whose two top political characters, representing the power and credibility of Romanian administration, attack each other and we don't know which one will be the first to attack. As officials can't know this and they can't even foresee the areas that will fire new recriminations on fraud and all kinds of illegal deeds, all they can foresee is that they will be in stand by too. Until we reach a solution, their solution is wait. Of course such a solution is polite and courting, but it is more and more motivated by a feeling of despair. They wanted Romania a major player. Romania wanted to be a major player. And look what we have got...

Cristian UNTEANU