The PAS Government’s Descent into Irrationality

Against the backdrop of a series of crises, mistakes, and scandals, we are increasingly witnessing a paradoxical situation in which issues of existential importance to the country remain virtually without any political consequences, while the three points awarded to Romania by the Moldovan jury at Eurovision sparked a veritable storm among opinion leaders and officials in government and parliamentary offices. This essentially peripheral topic, coupled with the local elections held on the same day, May 17, set the news agenda for this week. In fact, all of this is already indicative of a chronic illness within the current political system, which is behaving in an increasingly inappropriate manner. Incidentally, not only we are talking about the decline in the quality of our governing elites, but also the results of a study by a Swiss foundation published not long ago. In that study, Moldova dropped from 73rd to 75th place in the relevant index, ranking between Colombia and Togo. In recent years, our society has gradually grown accustomed to the idea that serious administrative failures result in neither personal accountability for PAS appointees nor political consequences for the party itself. Rising prices, crises in the energy and agricultural sectors, tensions with the regions, mass population outflow, and a decline in trust in the judicial and law enforcement systems – all of these have long been part of everyday life in the republic. Against this unfavorable backdrop, the government continues to function as if nothing were wrong, blaming everything on external circumstances, hybrid threats, and previous administrations. The scandal at Eurovision might have remained merely a topic of gossip on social media and talk shows, but the authorities, with their disproportionate reaction, turned this otherwise unremarkable incident into a “heart-wrenching” political spectacle. The three points awarded to the Romanian singer sparked such a wave of bureaucratic uproar that it seemed as though the issue at hand was not a song contest, but a matter of extraordinary national importance. The result was the resignation of Vlad Turcanu, director of the national public broadcaster, who was effectively sacrificed to public and political pressure. At this point many began to ask: why does the system react so harshly to what is, after all, a largely symbolic issue, yet remain strikingly indifferent to problems that directly affect the lives and health of citizens? And the answer, it seems to us, lies in the transformation of the very nature of the current government, which is increasingly less focused on solving practical problems and more on controlling minds through the media. In addition, there is a sense that, in this absurd manner, the dismissal of Turcanu is an attempt to vent some of the negative protest sentiment in society. And finally, through such a crude intervention, they are showing us that even in the sphere of culture and mass entertainment, PAS no longer tolerates autonomy or decisions that do not fit within its ideological framework. While the country was watching the Eurovision Song Contest, elections were held in twelve Moldovan municipalities, the results of which can be seen as an important indicator for understanding the political future of the ruling regime. Although these were local campaigns, they often provide a very accurate picture of the actual public mood. For this reason, the results of Sunday’s elections served as a wake-up call for the authorities. In Orhei, long considered Ilan Sor’s stronghold, it seemed that only the final step remained to “take over” the municipality. But PAS failed to get its candidate even into the second round, despite the use of administrative resources and the questionable exclusion of one of the parliamentary opposition’s candidates from the race. And the issue is much about a single city, but rather a demonstration that local government can exist and operate according to its own logic, without being completely dependent on the central government. As we recall, in 2023, PAS did not win a single municipality, including the capital. It is extremely difficult to hide behind geopolitics, external threats, or explanations about a complex historical context in terms of local elections. People vote for a specific individual, and under such conditions pent-up public frustration manifests itself most openly, no matter how hard the ruling party tries to forcefully secure an organizational advantage. Orhei has become a symbol of the fact that voters no longer perceive the political regime as a force capable of uniting society. Moreover, citizens increasingly feel that the system operates according to a logic of division into right and wrong, us and them, loyal and pro-Russian. As of today, PAS remains very strong. However, the main threat to the party no longer comes from the opposition, but from the growing discontent among the population. Our political landscape has always been sensitive to shifts in public sentiment, which is why periods of high support for the Communists, and later for the pro-European alliance, often ended in a sharp collapse. Judging by Sunday’s polls, next year the ruling party risks facing not just a drop in popularity, but an insurmountable crisis of confidence. It is impossible to ignore how, in recent months, PAS leaders have shifted to emotional governance of the country, as society is drawn into an endless stream of political mobilization. Such a style is characteristic of regimes that are beginning to lose confidence in their own social base. That is why we are witnessing utterly bizarre manifestations, as the authorities attempt to compensate for the erosion of trust with an artificially provoked sense of collective empathy surrounding inflated symbolic pretexts (“oh my, three points to Romania”), creating the illusion of unity between the state and its citizens. The main problem with the “Action and Solidarity” party lies not in its ideological and geopolitical narrow-mindedness but in its gradual loss of rationality. A mature government knows how to distinguish strategic threats from minor irritants, set priorities, acknowledge mistakes, and adjust its course. However, a system devoid of internal logic and the capacity for self-correction and self-criticism eventually begins to exist in a state of constant political anxiety, where even the most insignificant incident can be elevated to the status of a “huge challenge”. In reality, the key threat to the country today is not economic difficulties or foreign policy risks. Far more dangerous is the gradual transformation of the political regime into a closed club, detached from reality, living by its own logic, and increasingly unable to hear the voice of society. Sooner or later, it will inevitably begin to devour itself from within, losing its ability to renew itself, to adequately assess what is happening, and to make acceptable decisions.