EDITORIAL

The split of the Romanian political class is continuing. It means, on the one hand, a serious threat against small parties and, on the other hand, a chance for the parties hanging on in the Parliament. They will find themselves more and more courted for future talks on reaching the government. But it is not only the split that threatens such small parties. There is also the approach of market research institutes, always willing to sacrifice small parties' images by showing smaller scores for the sake of some financial interests. And there are sophisticated operations to commit fraud on elections by poisoned soft equipment, like in the Net Consulting case, insistently pointed to. And there is the fraud most often committed on the small players. Let's see who should get a penalty after the Euro-elections and who should not.

This is the first time in the last years that I can afford to put it bluntly that there were severe deficiencies within the sociologic research on political matters. The opinion polls drawn a few months ago by the most important institutes and looking into the number of voters and the actual results highlight differences in terms of percentage. Take the Gallup poll, for instance, published a few months ago, showed 60% of Romanians would go voting. This is not about some 2-3%, but about greater differences between the figures shown by the research institute and the real state of things. Therefore they augmented the Democrat Party's score every time, to make figures reach more than 40%, whereas the true score was 10% less. Half a year ago Gigi Becali's party had reached amazing figures, but last Sunday it didn't even get the minimum 5%. As for the Liberal-Democrat Party, another group serving the President, it met poll expectations, unless it was 'positively discriminated'.

The exit poll was erroneous too. Its mistakes were somehow more significant than the error rate announced. It means the market by the CSOP was mistaken on purpose or out of amateurishness.

But it is certain that all these errors altered the results and the Euro-elections were actually vitiated. And it is our part to learn what happened and who is the guilty and must get a penalty. Perhaps Romanian society can grow more aware of the market research outcome on the future so that fair institutes would have to foot the bill too. Maybe it is now time to establish a national authority like the one ruling over the audio and visual media, an institution to supervise that market research institutes meet deontological norms and set harsh sanctions against disobedience.

But let me come back to the parties. If it is about failure, but not about fraud, it is the "Greater Romania" Party who suffered the greatest failure. The fact that this party failed the election of MEPs doesn't mean it will be out of the domestic race. I am convinced that the party has still got enough supporters for the local, parliamentary and presidential elections. So Corneliu Vadim Tudor did a good thing by changing his mind and no longer resigning from the Parliament. I believe the same goes for Gigi Becali's party. The New Generation Party has got resources to revive in the political confrontation.

As for the Conservative Party, I wouldn't bet the party will lose and be kicked out in the future local and parliamentary elections. In other words, it is only those who quit who should get penalties. Cozmin Gusa is in this category, for the National Initiative Party's results in the Euro-elections, which he had initially decided to boycott, were no surprise to him. Then why resign now, since he didn't do it earlier?

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