For several weeks, many Romanians will have their eyes glued to television sets, on terraces, in the streets. For football. A passion and hobby that unites many. Remarkably many Romanians.
We are in an election campaign. And in politics the equation is simple: communication with the electorate opens doors to politicians and to power.
What better occasion for those struggling in the election campaign to show their faces and their parties for the voters to remember when they cast their ballot. Perhaps the politicians will never see themselves, aside from a dream, before such a crowd.
On the other hand, they will have once again the opportunity to gauge the enormous distance between them and the people pouring into the streets, because footballers are identified in moments of victory with those who indeed represent Romania. Remember the famous “Hagi for President”? For many foreigners, he represents Romania. For this kind of Romania, everyone is willing to vote.
Two categories of people: politicians and footballers. Both fighting essentially for the same thing. Footballers for the glory of their team and their country. Politicians, “for themselves,” for “their party,” and ultimately for their country. One difference is that to our politicians the quotation marks are more visible. Everything they do is their personal fight.
Everyone wants adulation from the crowds. Footballers and politicians alike. To put an act before the masses, to earn applause and ovation. Ceausescu was right to use stadiums, and not one politician will refuse, if at least for a moment, to take Ceausescu’s place. On the stadiums, of course! Nothing wrong with this.
But there is a difference. Politicians and footballers go their separate ways. Although they can easily win people’s acclaim, which means votes and power, footballers stop at a point. At the point of common sense. They know their place and will not cross the line. They know they shouldn’t.
Most often, politicians lack this sense. They are not aware of their own value. And they step beyond the line they should draw themselves. If they don’t, the crowd will certainly push them aside, at the vote. And when they lose, politicians blame it on the people who don’t know who to vote for, who don’t realise how hard their jobs are.
A week ago, we’ve had a dull voting Sunday. Because of the politicians. By their refusal to attend, most of the voters have shown distrust in the politicians. They no longer represent Romania or the Romanians. This is the truth.
For a couple of days, we will rejoice that someone represents us. The footballers. No one will skip this vote because they trust that there, on the field, a promise is a promise. Not necessarily the promise of a victory. But the fact that every footballer will fight for himself, for the team and for the country. No quotation marks. Vote for the footballers. They know how to represent us.