Ioana Lupea: "If it hadn't been for the internment at Elias Hospital for a blood pressure drop, we would have definitely forgot that we have a Justice minister named Catalin Predoiu".
The minister imposed himself, probably, not to get in his predecessor Tudor Chiuariu situation, that of continuously speaking unasked. He wanted to exit the Tariceanu government healthy, clean and everyone's friend. It's true that, in Romania, the public function and its bad reputation can damage a professional career. And it's better to miss praises than to expose yourself uselessly to insults. But his presence is imposed at least at the debates on the officials' files, that were turned into pellets by parliamentarians and thrown at the prosecutors.
Catalin Predoiu is content to assist the last assault of the politicians on the General Court House and the National Anti-Corruption Division (DNA), like a bored audience member. More, he said for "International Herald Tribune" that he is happy to see the government and parliament determination to fight against corruption. Catalin Predoiu's diplomatic optimism is contrary to the general tone of column in IHT "High level corruption in Romania resists reforms", and with the reality of the last months. Judges are more preoccupied by recovering their stress bonuses and other bonuses lost after the system reform. The Constitutional Court killed The National Integrity Agency before it had the chance to verify the first dignitary fortune.
Politicians with penal problems, from all parties, are running in the local elections like the file is fashionable, in trend, and to a shameful thing. Senators and deputies reopened the charge against DNA and prosecutor Daniel Morar. The evidences gathered by prosecutors against Adrian Nastase, Miron Mitrea, Paul Pacuraru and Codrut Seres are at the disposal of their godfathers and godsons. And the Parliament will debate - an unusual situation in a democracy - over the fairness of the procedures followed by prosecutors, an exclusive attribution of the Superior Magistrate Council.
Nobody believes anymore that a high official can be condemned in Romania. The people ended up saying that the corrupt are not that bad as long as they are doing something, anything, no matter how small for them. "The good corruption" is praised at television at high time ours, even by journalists, because it smoothes the state functioning mechanism. But as long as the exclusion clause doesn't fall on the Justice shoulders, the ministry will stay calm. If it passes the European Commission report in July and manages to delay the replacement of Daniel Morar, who's term in charge of DNA finishes in August, then Catalin Predoiu reached his objectives. His sin, maybe the only one, is that he is taking care of his image more than the independence and well being of the Justice.