The fact that Ludovic Orban was deprived of leadership over the PNL (National Liberal Party) branch in Bucharest is till subject to much comment. It is so because the PNL may get o depose this important leader, so far much trusted by the Liberals. He enjoyed so much trust that he was selected to be the party's candidate in the local election for a general mayor of Bucharest, a position thought to be one of the most important in Romania. So what happened? What information have we got to decipher the mystery called Ludovic Orban? What information are we lacking? Is it that we don't know very serious things, which Calin Popescu Tariceanu knows? Or is this just a political dispute of the Romanian Liberals? Years on end Ludovic Orban has been a Liberal in the right wing of the party, therefore somehow more radical than others, in terms of any expressions that may have been taken for left deviations. In other words, he has acted like a true anti-socialist, especially in relation with the leaders of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), with Ion Iliescu, Adrian Nastase and the others. Once Traian Basescu became a President and started the war against the PNL, Ludovic Orban has opposed him publicly as much as he could. His attitude at the presidential party's leaders has been the same, for the latter have countered the Liberal rulers. When Ludovic Orban expressed the wish to run as candidate in the general Bucharest mayor election, the party stood by him unhesitatingly. The campaign to follow looked very interesting and aggressive. Ludovic Orban enjoyed reputation as a very powerful political fighter. But surprise! His campaign was like the wine in which water is poured, a summer wine. As compared to his opponent Vasile Blaga, the candidate representing the presidential party, Ludovic Orban was standing a great chance, for he could just ruin the conduct of Traian Basescu and Adriean Videanu, formerly general mayors of Bucharest. His discourse against Vasile Blaga could have been devastating, for his opponent was just a continuation of bankrupting administration. Vasile Blaga's only chance was technical and elegant speech, whereas Ludovic Orban should have proved rough and relentless. But he chose a different way, contradicting with his own image in the elector's eye. Why? What made him change his attitude and take up one that didn't suit him? Was he blackmailed for having stolen anything? Or was there another reason? Or did he just betray? This is the first information we don't know. The second one is related to his campaign too. After losing in the first tour of the local elections, doctor Sorin Oprescu paid homage to Ludovic Orban. He praised the Liberal's projects, announcing he would let himself inspired by them. But Ludovic Orban defied him, unexpectedly, strangely and rudely, although Sorin Oprescu was asking him for nothing. On the contrary, he was making him an offer: to work for some of the projects the Liberal was voicing. Moreover, Ludovic Orban announced he would in now way advise his electors to vote for Sorin Opescu. Then for whom? What we can infer is that Ludovic Orban decided to support Vasile Blaga's candidacy. But there came Traian Basescu with one more mystery: he started to praise the Liberal, after having had numberless overt disputes against him. Politics is strange, isn't it? We could imagine that the PNL thought Ludovic Orban made a pact with the devil, embodied by Traian Basescu and the Democrat-Liberal Party. Then why is Crin Antonescu, a vehement adversary of the latter, standing by him? We could think this is a tight battle to get leadership over the Bucharest branch. Even so, we are missing something. Calin Popescu Tariceanu knows what we don't know. He has lost his trust in Ludovic Orban, therefore he is deposing the Liberal.

Sorin ROSCA STANESCU