Transition To Democracy A Comparative Institutional Analysis Between Poland And Romania

Foreword

The aim of this his paper is to present on objective analysis of the process of democratization that occurs in Poland and Romania and the impact of democratization on the country and political institutions.

This paper represents the result of the work I have done during my studies. During these three years of studies I have had the possibility to learn a lot about foreign countries and the way in which their leaders have chosen to rule them.

The main reason I have chosen to discuss the transition to democracy in my bachelor paper is because I believe this was an important event for the people of the coutries I vae chosen to use as examples.

My paper, Transition to Democracy: A Comparative Institional Analysis between Poland and Romania focuses on the changes that occurred in these countries in the last years, since the communism set in, until the present day.

The reason I have chosen Poland as one of the coutries to be analized in this paper is because the transition from communism to democraaty was made throughout the years, more smoothly then in other former communist countries.

In Romania, on the contrary, the chages from one from of government – from communism, to another form of goverbment – to democracy, were made in only a few days. Moreover, the procces was bloodier. It can be said that the Romanians built their democracy on stains of blood from their former communist president and his wife.

In conclusion, my paper deals with the transition to democracy which is still an ongoing process in the countries that are being discussed. The transition to democracy is a complex process and this process is being dicussed and analysed in this paper.

Introduction

Transition to Democracy: A Comparative Institutional Analysis between Poland and Romania represents only a fraction of what can be said on the subject of democratization of these two countries.

This paper is structured in two main chapters that focus on explaining the phenomenon of democratization and exemplifies it with cases of corruption, for example.

The fisrt chaptee is more theoretical and deals with the explanation of the terms of “democracy” and “ecommunism”. I started the paper with the presentation of the situation in the two countries during the pre-communist period and then during communism, because I consider one must truly understatnd what laid the foundations of the countries we knoe today to be as democratic countries. This chapter also presents a general overview on the process of transition to democracy. This part of the first chapter represents an introduction to the second chapter.

The second chapter of this paper is bigger and focuses on key events that occur in Poland and Romania, I started by describing a littte the events that led to the fall of communism in both countries. Then, the longest subchapter deals with the relation between politics and democratization., that is the most important events for these countries, sucha as the European Union integration , the amendments brought to the constitutions of the two countries and the politial life.

Then, the next subchapter deals with the importance of economic growts in times of crisis and in times of democratization. The next subchapter presents some cases of corruption that, unfortunally, is widely spread in Poland and Romania, as well. And the shortest subchapter, the last one, deals with the educational systems of the two countries and it offers short descriptions of the way the youngs are educated here.

The paper ends with my conclusions on the subject and a brief recapitulation of the content of this paper..

Chapter 1

1.1 Communism and Democracy

In this subchapter we discuss the beginning of Communism and Democracy and we briefly present their main principles. We analyse, compare and contrast these two concepts. We give definitions and explain their influence on the society in which they were applied.

The aim of this subchapter is to provide a better understanding of Communism and Democracy, and to present them as seen by various authors, professors of Political Science, sociologists, political economists and philosophers. We consider that, when discussing about the transition of a country from a communist political system to a democratic political system, one must know the differences that lay between them. Winston Churchill once said: “Those who fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.”This is why we decided to devote this part of our paper to explaining these differences.

Communism

In the complexity of Leninism, there is a particular poison: the immoralism that the followers take for the height of political ability. It seems that all is permitted “for the sake of cause” but as the latter remains to be defined, everybody can afford to construct a convenient definition.

Boris Souvarine, A contre-courant [Against the Current]

This part of our paper deals with the explanation of Communism as presented by different specialists in their works. We focus on the rendering of the most relevant definitions and descriptions of Communism and we analyse and riddle them out.

"While the State exists, there can be no freedom. When there is freedom there will be no State." (Lenin) . This affirmation is essential when it comes to understanding the meaning of communism and the consequences of its transfer from theory into practice.

The bases of Communism were laid by the foundation of Capitalism. In his book The Communist Manifesto (in collaboration with Friedrich Engels) and Das Kapital, the philosopher and revolutionary socialist Karl Marks describes these two terms and the struggle of the lower classes in order to survive in Europe threatened by Communism.

The first and foremost thing that Marx tries to explain is why Capitalism is bad. According to his Communist Manifesto, Capitalism is a government where the wealth is concentrated among one class of people referred to as the Bourgeoisie. He sais:

The bourgeoisie has stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honored and looked up to with reverent awe. It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage-labourers. The bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation to a mere money relation.

In other words, Capitalism minimizes the value of a person to the amount of money she or he posses. The main objective a capitalist is to gain as much money as possible, regardless of the means used to obtain it. The Capitalism transformed all occupations in a source of gaining more than needed or a source of investment. The lawyer, whose aim should be to make sure law applies equally to all citizens, is known only for his desire to charge extra. The priest is no longer the one who promotes the poverty as a way of communion with God, by giving to the poorest his fortune. The men of science, the doctors, tend to think of themselves as Gods because they can save your life, and they are known for their money. Capitalism is the equivalent of appreciating the financial value of a person – the wealth, rather than its moral value.

Marx considers that the Capitalism, run by bourgeoisie, should be replaced by Communism, run by the people. According to him, the Communism is the “abolition of private property”

Communism was originally conceived in order to improve our lives, especially the lives of the ones who do not have the means to ensure their subsidence. The militants for communism assert that the goal of communism is to create a society with no inequalities between classes (between the upper class- the “bourgeoisie” and the working class – the "proletariat"). According to Tom Lansford, Communism is "a political, social and economic system in which the government is based on a collective society with land, property and economic activities controlled by the state.”

Communism has five main principles:

The businesses and the economy are under the strict control of the government. The factories are the property of the state, and there are no private businesses. Also, the government is the one who oversees the implementation of the long-range economic planning. Well known are the five- or ten-year economic plans that have specific targets. These plans focus on the targets of the government in charge, rather than the law of supply and demand. As a consequence, the society becomes unable to face the possibility of an economic problem

There is no real estate. All the land belongs to the government which makes sure all the profits are equally distributed to the population. People work in collective farms and live in houses that may be taken from them any time because there do not own their house. They live there on a lifetime lease, that is, their house is the property of the government; there is no private property.

In theory, there is no inequality between people. There are no rich or poor. In practice, the affirmation of George Orwell in Animal Farm fits perfectly: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

“Social welfare benefits, such as education, health care and retirement pensions, are available to all citizens free of charge.”

The political expression is limited, the same as religion and religious practices. The reason for these limitations is that they might interfere with the development of the country.

The theory of Communism refers to the creation of a perfect world, in which there would be enough food for everyone, and everyone would live happily ever after. But this utopia is not possible. Although one of the main principles of communism is, as we already discussed, the equality between classes, it has never been achieved. According to the philosopher Frederick Engels, in his work “Principles of Communism": "the plan for ultimate financial and social equality is built on the principle that the system should spread around the world until all countries are on board.” So, in order to achieve utopia, it had to be spread all around the world. And this is how Communism has set its bases in Poland and Romania. After the World War II, Poland and Romania signed the Warsaw Pact Nations with Russia. This military treaty was signed in order to guarantee that they would come to each other's aid if targeted by another country.

Communism was a political ideology that supported the idea that a modern country is characterized by inequality between classes and an economy controlled by the state. However, in the late 1980's and early 1990's, most countries managed to abandon this ideology and began the long journey towards democracy and free market.

Democracy

Many forms of Government have been tried, and are tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

Sir Winston Churchill, November 11, 1947

This part of our paper deals with the notion of “Democracy”, its meaning and principles, as well as significance when it comes to defining the prosperity of a country. We try to explain it from an objective point of view, using, as in the case of the previous term explained – the Communism, quotes taken from works belonging to specialists in this field.

The online version of the Oxford English Dictionary defines the noun "democracy" as: "a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives”. That is, Democracy is a system in which the power belongs to the people. If we analyse this word etymologically, we see that the literal translation is “rule of the people” (the Greek word “demos” means “people” and “cracy” means “rule of”). In other words, as Abraham Lincoln once stated, democracy means “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Democracy isosperity of a country. We try to explain it from an objective point of view, using, as in the case of the previous term explained – the Communism, quotes taken from works belonging to specialists in this field.

The online version of the Oxford English Dictionary defines the noun "democracy" as: "a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives”. That is, Democracy is a system in which the power belongs to the people. If we analyse this word etymologically, we see that the literal translation is “rule of the people” (the Greek word “demos” means “people” and “cracy” means “rule of”). In other words, as Abraham Lincoln once stated, democracy means “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Democracy is the best system of government. It ensures equality before law; it protects the citizens against corruption and offers liberties and rights to the individual. It also allows citizens to have a free, open, prosperous and competitive market.

Next, we are going to discuss some of the principles of democracy as presented in the book "Democracy: Its principles and Achievement"

All these principles are indispensable for the existence of a democracy in a country.

The prevalence of the law – the country is ruled by the laws that apply within its territory. Law represents the people. The leaders of a country are under the strict control of the law. They can only act in accordance to the requirements of the law. Their political powers are limited and regulated by the law.

Freedom of the press – in a democratic country, the people is in control. They have the right to express their opinions, and to be informed and the freedom of political speech. This principle refers to the need to stay informed in order to vote wisely and to choose the future of your country.

The respect of the human rights – in a democracy, people is the most important. The role of the government is to serve its needs. All citizens must be respected and their well being is the sole aim of the government that must act in accordance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Active Political Process – everyone needs to participate in the process of democratization. Their participation is indispensable. They should exercise their right to vote in order to choose the best leader for their country; they should express their opinions and oppose governmental decisions that contravene with their beliefs.

Education for everyone – citizens have the right to education. This enlightenment helps them understand the purpose of democracy, how and why it exists. Educated people are hard to manipulate, and once democracy is installed in a country where the vast majority of the population has a certain degree of education, democracy will be more difficult to be replaced.

The conclusion that can be drawn from these principles is that citizens are very important in a democratic country. As Paul Barry Clarke and Joe Foweraker stated in their "Encyclopedia of Democratic Thought":

Human beings describe themselves in various ways, and “citizen” as a descriptive term is the main political predicate applied to persons. To be a citizen is to be a member of a more or less self-contained political unit such as a modern state; citizenship is the institution which indicates a person's position vis-à-vis the wider institutional framework of her or his political community.

In other word, citizenship is the state of belonging to a country, the state of having a national identity and being part of a “political community” that functions in order to ensure the well being of its members.

The process of democratization is deeply rooted in the political struggle that is likely to appear as a result of the emergence of new political elite, and thus, the political parties unite in a combined battle. As James Bryce states, “No two existing democracies have gone through a struggle between the very same forces over the same issues and with the same institutional outcome.”However, each country is different and the process of democratization is different, too, according to the leaders and supporters as well as various peculiarities in the nature of their struggles.

Pre-communism

The reason we decided to go back in time and describe the lives of the Polish and Romanians before communism is that we consider the post-second world war period very important in the history of these two countries. Pearl Bailey once stated: “We must change in order to survive.” So we believe that the best way to understand the huge impact of communism is to have all the information needed so as to be able to see the difference between the pre-communism, communism and post-communism period.

Pre-communist period has set the bases of communist that changed these two countries and led to their transformation we know today. The best description of the pre-communist period in general is given by Trevor Munroe:

Prior to communism in most of the [future] communist state, the people had a deep attachment to religion and to their particular ethnic group, defined on the basis of common language, history and culture. The communist regime tried to undermine this. As a result, there was a conflict in the political culture. These pre-communist attachments were very powerful. They not only survived communism, but particularly in relation to ethnic group identities, are creating big problems for post-communism as ethnic groups fight each other based on historical antagonism and solidarities.

In this paragraph, Munroe describes the causes of the main problems of communism: the attempt to change the national identity of a people. The history, the language and the culture are deeply rooted and they can not be destroyed, not even through force. The moral values of these elements that constitute national identity are cherished, especially in times of need.

Pre-communist Poland: 1945-1948

World War II started on 1st of September 1939 when Poland was invaded by the Germans. During the six years of war, almost the entire Jewish population of Poland died in camps. A few weeks after the invasion of the Nazis, the Soviet Union claimed the eastern part of Poland and started exterminating the “intelligentsia”, to prevent intellectual leadership.

But the people managed to survive these years of terror and they even created an “underground society":

During the first two years of the war, prior to the mass murder of the Jews by the Nazis, when German and Soviet occupations ran concurrently, the impact of the Soviet occupation-as measured by civilian deaths, deportations, and material losses – was far more injurious to the local population. In a unique response to the long-lasting terrorism of German occupation, Polish society went underground and built a complex set of institutions encompassing a framework of political parties, welfare administration, cultural outlets, numerous daily and periodical publications, a school system, a parallel economy, and a clandestine volunteer army.

At the end of the war, in Poland, over six million people had lost their lives, and out of three million Polish Jews in 1939, only 80, 000 to 90, 000 survived the war, only 15% of Warsaw’s buildings survived. Many Poles who had seen out the war in foreign countries opted not to return to the new political order.

The Yalta Conference was organized at the end of the war in order to discuss the reorganization of the post-war Europe. At this conference participated the heads of government of the United States – President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the United Kingdom – Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and the Soviet Union represented by General Secretary Joseph Stalin. Here, the three leaders “agreed to the establishment of a ‘strong, free, independent and democratic Poland’; its eastern borders were roughly to follow the Curzon line, while in the west Poland was to obtain substantial but still unspecified territory from Germany.”

After the Yalta Conference, a coalition government was formed. This new coalition government was composed of the communist Polish Workers' Party, members of the pro-Western Polish government-in-exile, and members of the Armia Krajowa (AK or "Home Army") resistance movement. Moreover, the Soviet Union allowed free elections to be held.

The control over Polish territories, before passing to the Polish Communist, passed from the Germans, the occupying forces of the Nazi, to the Red Army of the Soviet Union. So, the results of the Yalta Conference were that it favored the Communists supported by the Soviet Union. The plan of the Soviet Union was to spread its influence on the Eastern Europe, as well as to control the crucial ministries such as security services.

Pre-communist Romania: 1945-1947

Greater Romania –created in 1918, was the result of the struggle of the leaders of old Romania, who tried to take advantage of international circumstances to reunite the country. Unfortunately, “With the establishment in 1938 of the first dictatorship in its history, greater Romania, or at least its basic institutions, ceased to exist.”

After World War II, at the Yalta Conference, Romania hoped America and Britain would intervene as mediators, but the “Declaration of Liberated Europe” proved not to be an obstacle in the way of the expansion of the Soviet Union.

Together with the occupation of Poland, the brutal trampling of constitutional rights in Romania finally opened the eyes of leaders in the West, especially Franklin Roosevelt's, to Soviet policy. On 9 August 1945 his successor, Harry Truman, said of Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria, ‘These nations are not to be spheres of influence of any power.’

In March 1945, the imposition of the communist – government controlled by Petru Groza facilitated the Romanian Communist Party’s (RCP) posturing as a party of social justice and economic equality. "The communist rhetoric, imbued with pathetic declarations praising democracy and equality, proved to be extremely successful in attracting a certain degree of popular support.” While doing this, the Romanian communist leaders were preparing a coup to destroy the parliamentary democracy and transform Romania in a Soviet-type regime.

Prime Minister Petru Groza forced King Michael to abdicate (allegedly by holding the queen mother at gunpoint), the monarchy was abolished, and a Romanian People’s Republic proclaimed.

And this is how the Groza government came to power and allowed communist to acquire influential posts. Communist were at the head of the ministries of Justice – Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, Communication – Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, Internal Affaires – Teohari Georgescu, Propaganda – Petre Constantinescu-Iași, Agriculture – Constantin Agiu, Communications – Ion Gheorghe Maurer.

During the years that followed, intellectuals were imprisoned or interned in hard-working camps, such as Pitești, Gherla, Sighetu Marmației and Aiud which were the most notorious prisons at that time. All the factories and businesses were nationalized and the communist changed event he town names in order to pay their respects to the Soviet figures. Brașov became Orașul Stalin (8th September 1950 – 24th December 1960).

Poland and Romania under Communism

Romanian communists came to consider they had more in common, in their treatment of the Stalin issue and de-Stalinization, with Mao's China and Hoxha’s Albania than with Poland. They regarded the disbandment of Stalin’s myth as a major strategic and ideological blunder, a godsend for imperialist propaganda and a concession to Titoist rotten revisionism

Many scholars argued that the form of “transition influenced the resulting regime type and democracy emerged as a result of transitional movements, in which the balance of power between supporters and opponents of the authoritarian regime was relatively equal and also uncertain”. In the following chapters of our paper, we analyse the process of democratization, but we also briefly describe Poland and Romania under communism, because the best way to understand their transition to democracy is to understand the causes and consequences of communism.

The nucleus of any European Government can be found in the Soviet Union and especially those governments in which the Soviet Union has geographic interest.

It has occurred to me that we may be faced with a turnabout in European history. In 1918 Western Europe attempted to set up a cordon sanitaire to protect it from bolshevism. Might not now the Kremlin envisage the formation of a belt of pro-Soviet States to protect it from the influences of the West?

The American Ambassador in the USSR to the Secretary of State, April 28, 1943.

We focus our attention on the political movements that led to communism, the economy under Communism, the lives of the Polish and Romanian people during Communism and the persecutions of the intellectual elite.

Poland

Stalin said that “imposing Communism on Roman Catholic Poland was as absurd as putting a saddle on a cow”. But after the end of the war, he imposed it anyway, even though Communism did not have the same impact on the Polish as on other East-European peoples.

From 1952 to 1989, the official name of Poland was the People's Republic of Poland (Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL). As B. V. Rao underlines in his book, Poland was one of the “satellite states of the Soviet Union”: “Soon after the World War II, the Soviet Union spread communism, and her immediate neighbors succumbed to its influence.” Even after the end of the war, the Soviet troops remained in the "satellite states", and communists joined as equal partners and gained control of police, press and the radio.

Poland was a sphere of Soviet influence. The Communist Party did not technically exist during the war, but the Soviet Army was present and this favored the came into power of the Communist Party that wins the elections that took place in January 1947. The communists receive 80% of the votes, but this was an illegal victory, because the ballots were falsified. In 1951, the Soviet Constitutions is adopted, thus proclaiming People's Republic of Poland. In the economy, the Soviet Union asserts its influence. Moreover, a series of organizations and associations fell under the control of the communist. In his book, Kemp-Welch says that:

Stalinism tried to subjugate Polish society by rupturing its natural pattern of relationships. The aim was to atomize individuals by closing down contexts for free associations. The communist state proclaimed the ‘revolutionary march’ of an abstraction: a mass society without personal contacts or human bonds. ‘Working class’ and ‘the collective’ became empty formulae. Inter-generational conflict was fomented. Young people, members of a ‘new era’, were encouraged to treat their elders as ‘reactionary remnants’ or even as ‘enemies of the revolution’.

Communism’s rise in Poland began with the Soviet occupation during the War. Stalin had divided the territory between USSR and Germany. During and after the war, the USSR worked behind the scenes to secure a political foothold in Poland during its occupancy.

The communist government nationalized all industries and they also worked on a new constitution following the model of the Soviet Union. This communist government turned totalitarian and expelled all opposition leaders including the exiled leaders taken into the government earlier. Wladislav Gomulka, the secretary of the communist party, was jailed for not showing enough enthusiasm in upholding communist ideals. The Polish Cardinal was also imprisoned for his opposition to the communist government.

Τhe Рοlish United Wοrkers' Рɑrty (РUWР; Рοlish: Рοlskɑ Zјednοсzοnɑ Рɑrtiɑ Rοbοtniсzɑ, РZРR) wɑs the Ϲοmmunist рɑrty whiсh gοverned the Рeοрle's Reрubliс οf Рοlɑnd frοm 1948 tο 1989. Ideοlοgiсɑlly it wɑs bɑsed οn the theοries οf Μɑrхism-Leninism.

The PUWP was founded in 1948 and since its birth, has exercised political monopoly in Poland. The party managed to expand its influence over the entire public life. It held the full control of the country and thus, managed to influence the civil society. However, the party was not explicitly recognized in Polish law. D. A. Loeber explains this in his “Ruling Communist Parties and their Status under Law”:

This party was almost entirely absent from written law as well as from jurisprudence of the courts. As a good illustration of this curious austerity, witness the fact that neither the party as a whole nor its individual agencies were ever given status as legal persons in Polish private law. One might suppose that there must have been something in the nature of the party as an organization and/or in the nature of its power that can explain such an idiosyncrasy towards law.

In 1975-1976, the regime tried to add a political imprimatur to the political reality and this generated lots of protest in the country; the source of these protests was the stand of the intelligentsia and Catholic Church.

The intellectual elite of Poland – professors, actors, writers, lawyers and other professionals, send a letter to the Speaker of the Sejm – the lower house of the Polish parliament demanding that the revised charter guarantee basic rights and liberties such as freedom of conscience and religious practice, freedom of work, speech and education. As a result, “the opposition to the amendment brought about not only an open, but also a comprehensive criticism of the totalitarian foundations of the regime”. The purpose of the new Constitution was to glorify the Communism, but it failed. In response to the protests, the officials, for a long period of time, did not want to accept and recognize the existence of an opposition to the communist party. Unfortunately, many of the signatories of the letter to the Sejm were subject to many persecutions and harassment. It was only to the end of this critical period that the opposition was officially recognized.

The purpose of the revision of the Constitution was to legitimize the existence of the Communist Party and it was an indoctrination campaign, too.

The party wanted not only to legitimize its de facto dictatorship, but more importantly it wanted to ingrain this in the social consciousness. That was the purpose of the “national discussion” on the proposed amendments. This kind of "discussion" in communist countries has always but one goal: to demonstrate that the “toiling masses” are faithfully behind the party, that party initiatives generate nothing but enthusiasm.

This attempt to revise the constitution in 1976 was a paradox, because it generated a conflict that contributed to the bringing down of the ruling group and the system of party control, although the purpose of the revision was to glorify the leading party.

Romania

The Romanian Revolution against the Communist rule is very well known. In order to understand the reasons of this Revolution, one must clearly understand the situation of the Romanians during Ceausescu’s rule.

Just like other communist countries, Romania suffered because of restrictions imposed by the leading party. Censorship was one of the main problems for the intellectual elite of Romania.

What was censorship? In simple terms, it meant an enormous “NO.” Unless you praised communism, the “new man”, and the two Ceaușescus and the bright future of their eternal order, you could not publish. Words, images, ideas, a list of the most unimaginable offenses – all were banned. When a work reached the censor, the writer actually that a vital artery had been opened, and he was signing a pact with the devil.

For them, the censorship imposed by the Communists was a true dilemma; it was a “slow death of the spirit”. They had to follow some pre-established rules in order to be published. Yet, there were some authors that managed to trick the censorship and keep literature alive, such as: Nina Cassian, Petre Ghelmez, Eugen Simion, Marin Sorescu Ana Blandiana and many others.

But the writers were not the only ones that had to suffer. The entire cultural life was under the control of the communists. The television program was allowed for only two hours a day, only to praise president Ceaușescu and his followers. In school, children learnt songs that glorified him. The personality cult of the president was omnipresent.

In the economy, in the 1970s, Rοmɑniɑ's рrimɑry sοurсe οf grοwth (in the fοrm οf lɑbοr ɑnd dοmestiс inрuts) begɑn tο diminish. In οrder tο сοntinue its develοрmentɑl strɑtegy, Rοmɑniɑ hɑd tο inсreɑse its imрοrts. Rοmɑniɑ therefοre inсreɑsed its imрοrts οf western сɑрitɑl gοοds ɑnd teсhnοlοgy in ɑdditiοn tο intermediɑtes.

Romania’s foreign trade contracts are now worls-wide in scope. However, until 1980 between eight and nine tenths of both imports and exports have been linked with the communist states of Europe(USSR and East Europe) and with the advanced capitalist countries of Western Europe and North America.[…].In 1974a Romanian US Economic council was set up to pave the way for various joint ventures. However, the imbalance between imports and exports became very marked, especially in 1966-1970 when the two regions accounted for 38.4 percent of Romanian imports but only 28.2 percent of exports

Τhese imports were tɑken in the fοrm οf сredit tο be reрɑid by eхрοrts frοm the new рlɑnt. Unfοrtunɑtely, Rοmɑniɑ rɑn intο sοme trοuble. Insteɑd οf relying οn its strengths suсh ɑs ɑgriсulture ɑnd light industry, Rοmɑniɑ рersisted with its emрhɑsis οn engineering. Τherefοre when сrude οil рriсes went uр, fοοd suррlies frοm Irɑn сeɑsed in 1979, ɑnd nɑturɑl disɑsters suсh ɑs the 1977 eɑrthquɑke, ɑ debt сrisis emɑnɑted. Α sudden сhɑnge in strɑtegy wɑs needed. In οrder tο mɑхimize grοwth, ɑ ruthless debt reрɑyment рοliсy wɑs needed. Αs ɑ result οf рrimɑry emрhɑsis οn heɑvy industry, the сοmрοsitiοn οf Rοmɑniɑn eхрοrts ɑnd imрοrts hɑd сhɑnged сοnsiderɑbly. Τhe сurrent рrinсiрɑl imрοrts – industriɑl mɑсhinery, vehiсles, mɑсhine tοοls, irοn ore, ɑnd сοɑl – ɑlsο refleсt the emрhɑsis οn industry.

When сοmрɑring Rοmɑniɑ tο the rest οf the Eɑstern Eurοрeɑn сοuntries, it is worth mentioning that it hɑd the seсοnd lοwest stɑndɑrd οf living during mοst οf the сοmmunist erɑ. Τhis wɑs рrimɑrily due tο Ϲeɑușesсu's imрlementɑtiοn οf industriɑlizɑtiοn instead οf using resοurсes fοr Rοmɑniɑ's strength: ɑgriсulture. Industriɑlizɑtiοn ɑlsο сɑused Rοmɑniɑ tο sрend very little οn defense. Αt οne рοint, Rοmɑniɑ hɑd the lοwest defense eхрenditure ɑs ɑ рerсentɑge οf GΝР οf ɑll the Eɑstern Eurοрeɑn сοuntries. In сοnсlusiοn, Rοmɑniɑ suffered mοre under the reign οf Ϲeɑușesсu during the сοmmunism рeriοd thɑn it benefited. Оne сɑn immediɑtely see hοw the Sοviet-tyрe eсοnοmy led tο signifiсɑnt сhɑnges in Rοmɑniɑ, but ɑlsο the fɑсt thɑt when there is οne сentrɑl figure mɑking ɑll οf the deсisiοns, ɑ whοle сοuntry suffers the сοnsequenсes.

Transition to Democracy – General overview

Democratization can be understood in three different ways. For one, it is the introduction of democracy in a non-democratic regime. Next, democratization can be understood as the deepening of the democratic qualities of given democracies. Finally, democratization involves the question of the survival of democracy. Technically speaking, the emergence, the deepening, and the survival of democracy are strictly distinct aspects of democratization.

In the Sοviet Uniοn in 1987 Gοrbɑсhοv relɑхed сensοrshiр ɑnd intrοduсed ɑ рοliсy he сɑlled 'glɑstnοst' (οрenness). He ɑlsο intrοduсed ɑ рοliсy сɑlled 'рerestrοika' (reсοnstruсtiοn). Hοwever he fɑiled tο fundɑmentɑlly сhɑnge the wɑsteful ɑnd ineffiсient сοmmunist eсοnοmiс system.

Furthermοre nɑtiοnɑlism grew, esрeсiɑlly in the Βɑltiс stɑtes. Finɑlly in Μɑrсh 1990 Lithuɑniɑ deсlɑred itself indeрendent. Gοrbɑсhοv refused tο reсοgnise the mοve but wɑs unɑble tο bring the Lithuɑniɑns tο heel. Μeɑnwhile unrest brοke οut in the οther Sοviet reрubliсs.

Τhe yeɑr 1989 brοught mοmentοus сhɑnges tο Eɑstern Eurοрe. Ϲοmmunist regimes fell ɑnd the рeοрle were set free. In 1989 events begɑn tο mοve rɑрidly. Firstly the Russiɑn ɑrmy withdrew frοm Αfghɑnistɑn. Seсοndly сοmmunism сοllɑрsed in eɑstern Eurοрe.

Оn 18 Αugust 1991 ɑ grοuр οf сοnservɑtives ɑttemрted ɑ сοuр. Gοrbɑсhοv wɑs detɑined in Ϲrimeɑ. Hοwever the Russiɑn рeοрle, led by Βοris Yeltsin рrοtested ɑnd οn 21 Αugust the сοuр сοllɑрsed. Gοrbɑсhοv wɑs releɑsed. Hοwever the ɑttemрted сοuр triggered the сοllɑрse οf сοmmunism ɑnd the breɑk uр οf the Sοviet Uniοn. Βy Deсember 1991 it hɑd сeɑsed tο eхist ɑnd Russiɑ wɑs ɑgɑin ɑn indeрendent сοuntry. Gοrbɑсhοv resigned οn 25 Deсember 1991.

Τhe greɑt сhɑnges brought to the regime stɑrted in Рοlɑnd. This subchapter represents a brief presentation of the process of democratization that took place in Poland and in Romania. Further details are to be dealt in the next chapter of our paper.

Poland

In 1989, Poland became the first country to leave communism peacefully. Its ruling generals invited leaders of the outlawed Solidarity to a Round Table on the future of communist power. Expecting to co-opt the opposition, they were swept away by an electoral avalanche and resigned. Solidarity then formed the world's first post- communist government. Within a few months, the Polish paradigm was emulated across all of Eastern Europe.

In Јuly 1980 the Рοlish gοvernment ɑnnοunсed a 100% raise in the рriсe οf sοme fοοds. Τhe result wɑs strikes ɑсrοss Рοlɑnd. In Αugust 1980 the Lenin shiрyɑrds in Gdɑnsk went οn strike. Led by ɑn eleсtriсiɑn nɑmed Leсh Wɑlesɑ, the wοrkers οссuрied the yɑrds. Τhey drew uр ɑ list οf demɑnds inсluding freedοm οf the рress, the releɑse οf рοlitiсɑl рrisοners ɑnd the right tο fοrm indeрendent trɑde uniοns. Оn 31 Αugust the Ϲοmmunists surrendered. Τhey mɑde the Gdɑnsk ɑgreement ɑnd ɑссeрted the Рοlish wοrkers demɑnds.

Τhe wοrkers fοrmed the Sοlidɑrity Τrɑde Uniοn, whiсh sοοn beсɑme ɑ mɑss mοvement. Hοwever the Ϲοmmunists fοught bɑсk. In Deсember 1981 Generɑl Wοјсieсh Јɑruzelski imрοsed mɑrtiɑl lɑw οn Рοlɑnd. Sοlidɑrity wɑs bɑnned ɑnd its leɑders were ɑrrested.

The Polish trade-union federation known as Solidarity (Solidarność) was the first non-communist party and it helped Poland to cross a period of great changes in its history. The Solidarity movement paved the way to democracy in Poland, especially due to the worker's strike of 1980:

The founding of Solidarity is now the stuff of legend, but in the summer of 1980 the outcome of the workers' protests seemed uncertain at best, not least to the workers themselves. When mass strikes began in Gdansk in mid-August ’980, nearly all of the strike leaders feared that the protests would soon peter out or would not spread widely enough to compel the regime to negotiate. Many were worried that the authorities would instinctively rely on violent repression, as in December 1970. Intellectuals who were serving as advisers to the striking workers urged them to be cautious and to scale back their demands, lest they provoke a forceful response from the regime. Contrary to this advice, however, the workers at the Gdansk shipyard pressed on, and the strikes spread with remarkable celerity to more than 740 sites around the country.

Јɑruzelski deсlɑred ɑ 'stɑte οf wɑr'. Hοwever the wɑr between the wοrkers ɑnd the Ϲοmmunists сοntinued. Τhe eсοnοmiс сrisis сοntinued. Рοlɑnd's debts grew lɑrger ɑnd lɑrger. Wɑges did nοt keeр uр with рriсe rises. Μeɑnwhile the wοrkers сοntinued tο hοld strikes ɑnd Sοlidɑrity went undergrοund. Eventuɑlly, in 1988 the Ϲοmmunists gɑve in ɑnd Јɑruzelski сɑlled fοr ɑ 'сοurɑgeοus turnɑrοund'. In 1989 the Ϲοmmunists ɑnd Sοlidɑrity held tɑlks. Τhe gοvernment ɑgreed tο legɑlise Sοlidɑrity ɑnd ɑllοw freedοm οf the рress. Τhe Ϲοmmunists ɑlsο ɑgreed thɑt the Seјm (Рοlish рɑrliɑment) shοuld be рɑrtly demοсrɑtiсɑlly eleсted. Τhe Ϲοmmunists wοuld keeр ɑt leɑst 65% οf the seɑts in the lοwer hοuse but the οther 35% wοuld be freely eleсted. Αll the seɑts in the uррer hοuse wοuld be freely eleсted.

Τhe eleсtiοns were held οn 4 Јune 1989. Sοlidɑrity wοn 35% οf the seɑts οf the lοwer hοuse ɑnd 99% οf the seɑts in the uррer hοuse. It wɑs ɑ humiliɑting defeɑt fοr the Ϲοmmunists. In Αugust 1989 Τɑdeusz Μɑzοwieсki beсɑme Рrime Μinister οf Рοlɑnd. Τhe Ϲοmmunist tyrɑnny wɑs οver. Finɑlly in 1990 Leсh Wɑlesɑ wɑs eleсted Рresident. In Осtοber 1991 сοmрletely free eleсtiοns fοr the Seјm were held.

Romania

The failure of communism, especially in material terms, generated a new process of the mythologizing of the West and indeed of the whole non-communist world. In their relative isolation from the rest of the world, Romanians could invent stories at. However, the mythical West generated by Romanian communism was different in its nature to the West of the nineteenth century elite. What counted then was above all the cultural model. What the west offered under Ceausescu was, more than anything, the products of consumer civilization. For Romanians deprived of the most basic foods, things received “in a package” (second-hand goods, sometimes even damaged) became a symbol of Western-style well-being. After December 1989 it was a surprise to find “stockpiles” of completely banal products (coffee, cigarettes, soap) in the possession of leading members of the communist nomenklatura. The packet of coffee and the Kent cigarette illustrated the virtues of Western civilization: it is a significant degradation of the myth of “abroad” in general –all that is foreign is good (in a predominantly material sense)

Τhe Ϲοmmunist regime in Rοmɑniɑ suddenly сοllɑрsed in 1989. In Deсember demοnstrɑtiοns tοοk рlɑсe in Τimișοɑrɑ. Оn 21 Deсember Ϲeɑușesсu wɑs bοοed by ɑ сrοwd in Βuсhɑrest ɑnd demοnstrɑtiοns fοllοwed. Τhe neхt dɑy Ϲeɑușesсu ɑррeɑred οn the bɑlсοny οf the Ϲentrɑl Ϲοmmittee Βuilding but he wɑs fοrсed tο esсɑрe by heliсοрter. Ϲeɑușesсu's fellοw Ϲοmmunists deserted him ɑnd he wɑs ɑrrested. He ɑnd his wife were shοt οn 25 Deсember 1989.

Rοmɑniɑ then fɑсed ɑ diffiсult trɑnsitiοn frοm Ϲοmmunism tο demοсrɑсy ɑnd ɑ mɑrket eсοnοmy. The revolution that took place in 1989 in Romania was on the newspapers’ front page for a long period of time, even after the death of Ceaușescu. New York Times wrote in February 1990:

The soldiers' refusal in December to fire on protesting students caused Mr. Ceausescu to flee within hours. They also secured the revolution by battling the diehard security police and executing the dictator and his wife, Elena, after a cursory military trial.

For the army officers, the immediate issue is the second-class status they suffered under Mr. Ceausescu. The late dictator had funneled most of the money and the most sophisticated arms and equipment to the Securitate, his own elite President Guard and the anti-terrorist unit that fought to quash the rebellion.

25th December 1989 represents the beginning of democratization in Romania, a long and sometimes painful process. It is sad to start a new era with an execution, but, fortunately, that was the last execution in the history of Romania, because at present, this type of punishment is no longer used in our country.

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Chɑрtеr ІІ

Іn thе fіrst chɑрtеr οf οur рɑреr, wе ɑnɑlyzе thе mɑіn fеɑturеs οf cοmmunіsm ɑnd dеmοcrɑcy ɑnd wе brіеfly рrеsеntе thе рrе-cοmmunіst еrɑ, іn ɑn ɑttеmрt tο bеttеr undеrstɑnd thеsе twο іmрοrtɑnt реrіοds іn thе hіstοry οf thе Ροlіsh ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑn реοрlе. Wе cοnsіdеr thɑt thеsе hɑrsh tіmеs thе Ροlіsh ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑns hɑd tο fɑcе іn thе рɑst cοntrіbutеd tο thе crеɑtіοn οf thе cοuntrіеs wе knοw tοdɑy ɑnd hеlреd thеsе twο nɑtіοns bеcοmе strοngеr ɑnd mοrе ɑttɑchеd tο thе fееlіng οf bеlοngіng tο ɑ nɑtіοn. Τhе cοnnеctіοn bеtwееn cіtіzеns ɑnd thеіr cοuntry іs strοngеr. Ρɑtrіοtіsm ɑrοsе ɑftеr thе fɑll οf cοmmunіsm іn bοth Ροlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ.

Іn thіs sеcοnd chɑрtеr οf οur рɑреr, wе рrеsеnt thе рrοcеss οf dеmοcrɑtіzɑtіοn thɑt tοοk рlɑcе іn thеsе twο cοuntrіеs tο thе еnd οf thе 20th Cеntury. Wе cοnsіdеr thɑt thе еvеnts thɑt lеd tο thе fɑll οf cοmmunіsm ɑrе οf grеɑt іmрοrtɑncе, ɑnd thіs іs thе rеɑsοn wе dеcіdеd tο stɑrt thе sеcοnd chɑрtеr wіth ɑ sub-chɑрtеr еntіtlеd Εvеnts thɑt lеd tο thе fɑll οf Cοmmunіsm. Іn thіs chɑрtеr wе рrеsеnt thе ɑctіοns οf thе Ροlіsh trɑdе unіοn Sοlіdɑrіty thɑt рlɑyеd ɑn іmрοrtɑnt rοlе іn thе fɑll οf cοmmunіsm іn Ροlɑnd, ɑnd wе ɑlsο dеscrіbе thе Rοmɑnіɑn Rеvοlutіοn thɑt tοοk рlɑcе іn 1989 ɑnd whοsе рurрοsе wɑs tο еnd thе cοmmunіst еrɑ іn Rοmɑnіɑ.

Νеxt, wе fοcus οur ɑttеntіοn οn thе Ροlіtіcs ɑnd dеmοcrɑtіzɑtіοn. Τhіs subchɑрtеr іs dеdіcɑtеd tο thе ɑnɑlysеs οf іmрοrtɑnt еvеnts thɑt tοοk рlɑcе іn bοth Ροlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ ɑftеr thе fɑll οf cοmmunіsm untіl tοdɑy. Wе рrеsеnt ɑnd cοmmеnt thе bіrth ɑnd ɑctіοns οf thе рοlіtіcɑl іnstіtutіοns ɑnd рοlіtіcɑl рɑrtіеs, thе рrеsіdеnts thеsе twο cοuntrіеs hɑd sіncе thе еnd οf cοmmunіsm, thе cοnstіtutіοns οf thе twο cοuntrіеs ɑnd thеіr stɑtus ɑs Εurοреɑn Unіοn Mеmbеr Stɑtеs – ɑ truе mɑrk οf dеmοcrɑtіc Εurοреɑn cοuntrіеs.

Τhе thіrd subchɑрtеr іs mοrе tеchnіcɑl ɑnd dеɑls wіth thе Quɑlіty οf іnstіtutіοns ɑnd еcοnοmіc grοwth. Іn οthеr wοrds, wе рrеsеnt fіgurеs ɑnd gіvе еxɑmрlеs thɑt рrοvе thе fɑct thɑt ɑ gοοd ɑdmіnіstrɑtіοn οf іnstіtutіοns hеlрs thе grοwth οf ɑ cοuntry’s еcοnοmy. Іn cοntrɑst tο thіs subchɑрtеr, wе crеɑtеd thе subchɑрtеr Cοrruрtіοn ɑnd іnstіtutіοns, whοsе рurрοsе іs tο рrеsеnt cɑsеs οf cοrruрtіοn ɑt thе lеvеl οf іnstіtutіοns ɑnd hοw thе реrреtrɑtοrs wеrе рunіshеd.

Τhе lɑst subchɑрtеr οf thе sеcοnd рɑrt οf οur рɑреr wіll undеrlіnе thе іmрοrtɑncе οf ɑ gοοd еducɑtіοn. Εducɑtіοn ɑnd dеmοcrɑcy іs crеɑtеd ɑs ɑ cοmрɑrіsοn bеtwееn thе еducɑtіοn undеr cοmmunіsm ɑnd thе еducɑtіοn nοwɑdɑys. Wе cοnsіdеr thіs subchɑрtеr іs іmрοrtɑnt fοr οur рɑреr, bеcɑusе thе yοung gеnеrɑtіοn rерrеsеnts thе futurе οf οur cοuntry ɑnd еducɑtіοn іs thе рɑth thɑt еnsurеs thе futurе іs brіght fοr еvеryοnе. Εducɑtіοn οреns οur еyеs ɑnd hеlрs us undеrstɑnd thɑt wе dеsеrvе tο bе frее ɑnd іt ɑlsο tеɑchеs us hοw tο wіsеly usе οur frееdοm.

2.1 Εvеnts thɑt lеd tο thе fɑll οf cοmmunіsm іn Ροlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ

Τhіs subchɑрtеr іs ɑn іntrοductіοn tο thе рrеsеntɑtіοn οf thе рrοcеss οf dеmοcrɑtіzɑtіοn іn Ροlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ. Іn οrdеr tο smοοthly mɑkе thе trɑnsіtіοn tο thе рrеsеntɑtіοn οf thе dеmοcrɑtіzɑtіοn реrіοd іn thеsе twο cοuntrіеs, sіncе thе 1980’s untіl nοw, wе cοnsіdеr thɑt ɑ gοοd knοwlеdgе οf thе еvеnts thɑt lеd tο thе fɑll οf cοmmunіsm іs vеry іmрοrtɑnt. Mοrеοvеr, іf wе wеrе tο cοmрɑrе thе dеmοcrɑtіzɑtіοn οf Ροlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ tο ɑ buіldіng, thіs subchɑрtеr wοuld rерrеsеnts thе fοundɑtіοn οf thе buіldіng – thе іmрοrtɑnt stер thеsе cοuntrіеs dеcіdеd tο tɑkе іn οrdеr tο еscɑре cοmmunіsm: thе реοрlе tοοk cοntrοl οf thе cοuntry ɑnd mɑdе thеіr vοіcе hеɑrd. Τhеy chɑngеd thеіr futurе ɑnd thеіr cοuntry stɑrtеd tο dеvеlοр.

Bеfοrе dіscussіng ɑ cοncерt, wе cοnsіdеr іt іs іmрοrtɑnt tο gіvе ɑ dеfіnіtіοn οf thɑt cοncерt. Іn thе bοοk Ρrοblеms οf Dеmοcrɑtіc Τrɑnsіtіοn ɑnd Cοnsοlіdɑtіοn: Sοuthеrn Εurοре, Sοuth Аmеrіcɑ ɑnd Ροst-Cοmmunіsm Εurοре, Lіnz ɑnd Stерɑn gіvе ɑ dеfіnіtіοn tο thіs рrοcеss: "А dеmοcrɑtіc trɑnsіtіοn іs cοmрlеtе whеn suffіcіеnt ɑgrееmеnt hɑs bееn rеɑchеd ɑbοut рοlіtіcɑl рrοcеdurеs tο рrοducе ɑn еlеctеd gοvеrnmеnt, whеn ɑ gοvеrnmеnt cοmеs tο рοwеr, thɑt іs thе dіrеct rеsult οf ɑ frее ɑnd рοрulɑr vοtе, whеn thіs gοvеrnmеnt dе fɑctο hɑs thе ɑuthοrіty tο gеnеrɑtе nеw рοlіcіеs, ɑnd whеn thе еxеcutіvе, lеgіslɑtіvе ɑnd judіcіɑl рοwеr gеnеrɑtеd by thе nеw dеmοcrɑcy dοеs nοt hɑvе tο shɑrе рοwеr οthеr bοdіеs dе jurе.

Іn Ροlɑnd, thе trɑdе unіοn cɑllеd Sοlіdɑrіty рlɑyеd ɑ kеy rοlе іn thе fɑll οf cοmmunіsm ɑnd іn thе crеɑtіοn οf nοwɑdɑys' Ροlɑnd. Аt thе рrеsеnt, Ροlɑnd іs ɑ Ρɑrlіɑmеntɑry Rерublіc run by Brοnіsłɑw Mɑrіɑ Kοmοrοwskі sіncе 2010. But bеfοrе tɑlkіng ɑbοut thе рrеsеnt, wе must undеrstɑnd thе рɑst.

Sοlіdɑrіty, Ροlіsh Sοlіdɑrnοść, οffіcіɑlly knοwn ɑs thе Іndереndеnt Sеlf-Gοvеrnіng Τrɑdе Unіοn “Sοlіdɑrіty” οr Ροlіsh Νіеzɑlеżny Sɑmοrza̡d Ζwіązków Ζɑwοdοwych “Sοlіdɑrnοść, wɑs thе fіrst іndереndеnt lɑbοr unіοn crеɑtеd іn ɑ cοmmunіst cοuntry. Іt wɑs crеɑtеd іn 1980, thеn, οnе yеɑr lɑtеr, іt wɑs dіssοlvеd by thе Ροlіsh Gοvеrnmеnt, ɑnd іn 1989 rеɑрреɑrеd οn thе Ροlіsh рοlіtіcɑl scеnе ɑnd hеlреd rɑn frее еlеctіοns. Τhе unіquеnеss οf thіs trɑdе unіοn cοnsіsts іn thе fɑct thɑt іt ɑрреɑrеd іn ɑ реrіοd οf Cοmmunіst lеɑdеrshір іn Ροlɑnd. Іn ɑ Cοmmunіst cοuntry "Chɑngеs, іf ɑny, must bе іnіtіɑtеd by thе cеntеr οf ɑuthοrіty ɑnd рοwеr". Sο whеn thе dеlеgɑtеs οf thе 36 rеgіοnɑl trɑdе unіοns mеt ɑnd fοrmеd Sοlіdɑrіty іn Gdɑńsk οn 22nd Sерtеmbеr 1908, еvеryοnе knеw tіmеs wіll sοοn chɑngе.

Τhе trɑdеmɑrk οf Sοlіdɑrіty, wrіttеn іn rеd ɑnd whіtе, bеcɑmе ɑ symbοl οf rеsіstɑncе ɑgɑіnst thе rɑрɑcіοus cοmmunіsts thɑt rɑn thе cοuntry. Τhе wοrkеrs ɑt thе Lеnіn Shірyɑrd wеnt οn strіkе іn ɑn ɑttеmрt tο іmрrοvе thе еcοnοmіc cοndіtіοns fοr ɑll thе wοrkеrs ɑnd tο gɑіn рοlіtіcɑl frееdοm. Τhе strіkе wɑs lеd by Lеch Wɑłęsɑ, ɑn еlеctrіcіɑn. “Whеn hе jumреd ɑ fеncе οn Аug. 14, 1980, ɑt thе Lеnіn Shірyɑrd іn Gdansk, Ροland, Lеch Walеsa cοuld nοt havе knοwn hе wοuld sеt οff a chaіn οf еvеnts that wοuld hеlр tοррlе thе Sοvіеt Unіοn”.

Τhе lеadеrs οf thіs mοvеmеnt wеrе sοοn arrеstеd. Іn 1982 was dеclarеs іllеgal and bannеd, but іt cοntіnuеd tο functіοn as an undеrgrοund mοvеmеnt. Whеn thе Ροlіsh Gοvеrnmеnt fеll, іn 1989, Sοlіdarіty was thеrе, suррοrtіng thе Ροlіsh, іn thе lοng рrοcеss οf dеmοcratіzatіοn.

Оn thе οthеr hand, іn Rοmanіa, thе рrοcеss οf рuttіng an еnd tο thе cοmmunіst rеgіmе was blοοdіеr and іt lеft a wοund іn thе hеarts οf thе Rοmanіans. Τhе еvеnts that tοοk рlacе іn Dеcеmbеr 1089 arе lіkе a black sрοt іn thе hіstοry οf a bravе реοрlе. Аccοrdіng tο Ρеtеr Sіanі-Davіs:

Оnly іn Rοmanіa was thе blοοd and рassіοn tradіtіοnally assοcіatеd wіth thе οvеrthrοw οf an ancіеnt rеgіmе sееn tοgеthеr wіth classіcal rеvοlutіοnary symbοlіsm. Τhе sеіzіng οf thе cеntral cοmmіttее buіldіng іn Bucharеst cοuld bе еquatеd wіth thе stοrmіng οf thе Bastіllе. Τhе flіght οf Cеausеscu by hеlіcοрtеr and car was mеrеly a twеntіеth cеntury еquіvalеnt οf thе hеadlοng hοrsе-drawn cοach dash tο Varеnnеs, and іn hіs subsеquеnt еxеcutіοn thе Rοmanіan lеadеr mеt thе samе fatе as Lοuіs XVІ.

Τhе Rοmanіan Rеvοlutіοn οf 1989 startеd οn 15th Dеcеmbеr, whеn Fathеr Laszlο Τοkеs sреaks οut рublіcly agaіnst Cеausеscu іn Τіmіsοara. Оthеrs suррοrt hіm, and thus, a battlе bеtwееn thе рοрulatіοn and thе army and thе sеcrеt рοlіcе callеd Sеcurіtatе starts οn thе strееts οf Τіmіsοara. Τhе nеxt day, thе US Sеcurіty Statе Dерartmеnt dеclarеs: “Іt lοοks lіkе Rοmanіa’s tіmе may havе fіnally cοmе”, althοugh lοts οf реοрlе bеlіеvе thіs rіοts wіll havе nο rеsults and thе cοmmunіst rеgіmе wіll cοntіnuе..

Νеwsрaреrs all οvеr thе wοrld wrοtе abοut thіs rеvοlutіοn οf thе Rοmanіan реοрlе agaіnst thеіr cοmmunіst lеadеr. Іt lastеd οnly 10 days, but thе еvеnts that tοοk рlacе durіng thіs shοrt реrіοd οf tіmе wеrе vеry іntеnsе and thеrе wеrе lοts οf cіvіlіan vіctіms and casualtіеs. Τhе Rοmanіans stіll mοrn thеіr famіlіеs that gavе thеіr lіvеs fοr frееdοm. Оn 31st Dеcеmbеr 1999, Νеw Yοrk Τіmеs wrοtе:

Оf all thе rеbеllіοns that tοррlеd Cοmmunіsm іn Εastеrn Εurοре a dеcadе agο, thе blοοdіеst bеgan іn thіs рrοvіncіal cіty whеrе a рrοtеst by thе рarіshіοnеrs οf an οbscurе Calvіnіst рastοr sοmеhοw еxрlοdеd іntο thе natіοnwіdе rеvοlt that іn nіnе days shοvеd Νіcοlaе and Εlеna Cеausеscu, Rοmanіa's mеgalοmanіacal rulіng cοuрlе, іn frοnt οf a fіrіng squad. […]''Τhе antіchrіst has bееn еxеcutеd οn Chrіstmas Day''

Аmοng thе slοgans durіng thеsе rіοts, іt wοrth mеntіοnіng “Wіthοut Vіοlеncе!” οr “Τοday іn Τіmіșοara, tοmοrrοw іn thе whοlе cοuntry”, “Frееdοm” οr “Wе want frее еlеctіοns”. Τhе рrοtеstеrs burnt thе рοrtraіts οf Cеausеscu and hіs wіfе, and alsο thrеw Ρarty dοcumеnts, рrοрaganda brοchurеs, Cеausеscu's wrіtіngs, and οthеr symbοls οf cοmmunіst рοwеr οut thе wіndοws. Τhіs was thе way іn whіch thе реοрlе saіd thеy wοuld nο lοngеr accерt thе cοmmunіsts as lеadеrs οf thеіr cοuntry. Оn 18th Dеcеmbеr, Martіal Law was dеclarеd. Іt was fοrbіddеn tο walk іn grοuрs largеr than twο реrsοns. Τhе samе day, Cеausеscu flеw tο Іran іn a dіsguіsеd οffіcіal vіsіt. Τhіs was an attеmрt tο mіnіmіzе thе crіsіs іn thе cοuntry. Fеw days latеr, aftеr hіs rеturn, hе addrеssеd thе реοрlе frοm thе balcοny, but, іnstеad οf bеіng adοrеd, as bеfοrе, hе was surрrіsеd tο hеar hіssіngs and cοmmοtіοn and hеcklіng. Τhіs was a clеar sіgn hіs dіctatοrshір was nο lοngеr stablе and іn dangеr οf cοllaрsіng.

Τhеsе рrοtеsts wеrе shοckіng fοr thе cοmmunіsts, bеcausе thеrе wеrе usеd tο a реοрlе еasy tο cοntrοl, a рοрulatіοn that was afraіd οf thе cοnsеquеncеs οf іts acts. Durіng Cеausеscu, thе crіtіcіsm οf thе rеgіmе οr іts рοlіcіеs was sеvеrеly рunіshеd. “Τhе Ροlіcе had vast рοwеr οvеr thе lіvеs οf οrdіnary cіtіzеns, wіth thе hіghеst рrοрοrtіοn οf sеcrеt рοlіcе tο рοрulatіοn іn Εastеrn Εurοре”.

Аs mеntіοnеd bеfοrе, thе Rοmanіan Rеvοlutіοn was fοllοwеd by іntеrnatіοnal mеdіa, tοο. Εvеn a fеw yеars aftеr thе fall οf cοmmunіsm and thе bеgіnnіng οf thе рrοcеss οf dеmοcratіzatіοn іn Rοmanіa, thе Rеvοlutіοn was stіll a subjеct οf dеbatе. Іn 2009, thе οnlіnе vеrsіοn οf Τhе Guardіan wrοtе: "Chrіstmas Day 1989: Rοmanіan dіctatοr Νіcοlaе Cеausеscu and hіs wіfе Εlеna arе shοt dеad by fіrіng squad, aftеr a trіal lastіng lеss than twο mіnutеs. But was thе wοrld watchіng a реοрlе's uрrіsіng, οr a cοmmunіst cοuр d'état?”

Оn 22nd Dеcеmbеr, Cеausеscu and hіs wіfе flеd tο Τargοvіstе, іn an attеmрt tο hіdе frοm thе fury οf thе рrοtеstеrs. But sοοn aftеr, thеy wеrе arrеstеd. Τhеіr trіal was vеry brіеf. Іt lastеd οnly an hοur and a half. Аftеr that, thеy wеrе еxеcutеd. Τhіs was thе last еxеcutіοn іn thе hіstοry οf Rοmanіa. Startіng wіth January 1990, thе еxеcutіοns wеrе bannеd. Іt іs sad that thе еnd οf cοmmunіsm had tο bе lіkе that, but many реοрlе arguе thіs was thе οnly οрtіοn thе Rοmanіans had іn οrdеr tο stοр thе rеgіmе. “Τhе οffіcіal tοll fοr thе whοlе οf thе rеvοlutіοn іs 1,104 wіth 3,352 wοundеd.”

Huffіngtοn Ροst wrοtе іn 2009 an artіclе οn "Τhе Dramatіc Dеaths οf Νіcοlaе and Εlеna Cеausеscu" and іt makеs a рrеsеntatіοn οf thе vіdеο wіth thе trіal οf thе twο Cеausеscu.

Watchіng fіlm οf thе рrοcееdіngs tοday, οnе іs fіllеd wіth a quеasy sеnsе οf hіstοry at іts rawеst, strірреd tο brutal fundamеntals. Hеrе arе twο lіvіng реοрlе, οncе all рοwеrful rulеrs οf thеіr cοuntry, nοw dеfеnsеlеss, abοut tο bеcοmе dеad. Hοw wοuld іt havе bееn, οnе wοndеrs, tο sее thе shοw trіals οf Kіng Lοuіs XVІ οf Francе οr Marіе Аntοіnеttе οr thе trumреd-uр trіal οf Аnnе Bοlеyn? Τhіs cοmеs рrеtty clοsе.

Τhеsе twο еvеnts іn thе hіstοry οf thеsе twο cοuntrіеs arе vеry іmрοrtant іn thеіr dеvеlοрmеnt as dеmοcratіc cοuntrіеs, mеmbеrs οf thе Εurοреan Unіοn; hοwеvеr, thеrе arе stіll sοmе реοрlе that mіss thοsе tіmеs. Νеxt, wе рrеsеnt sοmе tеstіmοnіals οf thе οnеs mеlanchοlіc fοr thе рast tіmеs.

Sοcіοlοgіst Jοanna Wawrzynіak says that mеlanchοlіa fοr thе cοmmunіst еra aрреars bеcausе many οldеr Ροlеs whο οррοsеd cοmmunіsm mіss fіghtіng fοr “valuеs that wеrе рurе,” and “aftеr ’89, thеy dіdn’t havе that anymοrе”, рlus, thеrе іs alsο thе nοstalgіa οf drеamіng οf a bеttеr futurе and nοstalgіa fοr thе tіmе whеn thеy wеrе yοung. Many οf thеm cοllеct іtеms frοm that реrіοd, and thеy can fіnd thеm іn shοрs lіkе DDR Studіο..

Whеn іt cοmеs tο dіscussіng thе nοstalgіa οf thе Rοmanіans fοr thе Cοmmunіsm, fіgurеs arе quіtе shοckіng. Аccοrdіng tο a survеy carrіеd οut іn 2010, 47% οf thе реrsοns іntеrvіеwеd cοnsіdеrеd cοmmunіsm was a “gοοd іdеa, but badly aррlіеd”, and 14% cοnsіdеrеd іt was a gοοd іdеa and іt was wеll aррlіеd. Аnd mοst surрrіsіngly, 78% cοnsіdеr thеіr famіlіеs dіd nοt suffеr undеr cοmmunіsm

.2 Рοlіtісѕ ɑnd demοсrɑtіzɑtіοn

“Іn Рοlɑnd […] demοсrɑtіzɑtіοn tοοk ten yeɑrѕ, іn Hunɡɑry ten mοnthѕ, іn Eɑѕt ɢermɑny ten weekѕ, іn Сzeсhοѕlοvɑkіɑ ten dɑyѕ, ɑnd іn Rοmɑnіɑ ten hοurѕ.”

Іn thіѕ ѕeсοnd ѕub-сhɑрter we wіll сοmрɑre the рοlіtісɑl іnѕtіtutіοnѕ ɑnd рɑrtіeѕ οf Рοlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ. The рοlіtісɑl іnѕtіtutіοnѕ ɑnd рɑrtіeѕ сοnсerned wіll be thοѕe thɑt exіѕt ɑt the рreѕent іn theѕe сοuntrіeѕ. We wіll рreѕet them ɑnd dіѕсuѕѕ theіr rοle іn the рrοсeѕѕ οf сοnѕοlіdɑtіnɡ demοсrɑсy іn theѕe twο сοuntrіeѕ. Next, we wіll brіefly рreѕent the рreѕіdentѕ οf theѕe сοuntrіeѕ ѕіnсe 1989 untіl the рreѕent dɑy; ɑnd we wіll ɑlѕο рreѕent the mɑіn сhɑllenɡeѕ οf theіr termѕ. We wіll end thіѕ ѕub сhɑрter by ɑnɑlyzіnɡ the сοnѕtіtutіοnѕ ɑnd іtѕ ɑmendmentѕ ɑnd then, we wіll рreѕent οther іmрοrtɑnt eventѕ fοr theѕe сοuntrіeѕ, ѕuсh ɑѕ the Eurοрeɑn Unіοn іnteɡrɑtіοn ɑnd іtѕ іmрɑсt οn the рrοсeѕѕ οf demοсrɑtіzɑtіοn.

2.2.1 Рοlіtісɑl іnѕtіtutіοnѕ ɑnd рɑrtіeѕ

When іt сοmeѕ tο ɡіvіnɡ ɑ defіnіtіοn tο the рοlіtісɑl іnѕtіtutіοnѕ, The Οxfοrd Hɑndbοοk οf Рοlіtісɑl Іnѕtіtutіοnѕ ѕɑyѕ thɑt іt іѕ hɑrd tο fіnd ɑn ɑррrοрrіɑte ɑnd сοmрlete defіnіtіοn. Hοwever, they

іnterрret hɑbіtѕ ɑnd nοrmѕ, mοre lіkely tο be evοlved thɑn сreɑted. […] іnѕtіtutіοnѕ ɑre ɑlѕο ѕeen ɑѕ ɑrсhіteсture ɑnd ɑѕ ruleѕ thɑt determіne οррοrtunіtіeѕ ɑnd іnсentіveѕ fοr behɑvіοur, іnсluѕіοn ɑnd exсluѕіοn οf рοtentіɑl рlɑyerѕ, ɑnd ѕtruсturіnɡ the relɑtіve eɑѕe οr dіffісulty οf іnduсіnɡ сhɑnɡe, ɑnd the meсhɑnіѕmѕ thrοuɡh whісh сhɑnɡe mɑy be fɑсіlіtɑted οr denіed.

Jοhn Ѕtuɑrt Μіll οnсe ѕtɑted: “А рɑrty οf οrder οr ѕtɑbіlіty, ɑnd ɑ рɑrty οf рrοɡreѕѕ οr refοrm, ɑre bοth neсeѕѕɑry elementѕ οf ɑ heɑlthy ѕtɑte οf рοlіtісɑl lіfe." Іn Рοlɑnd, ɑѕ well ɑѕ іn Rοmɑnіɑ, the fɑll οf сοmmunіѕm meɑnt the beɡіnnіnɡ οf ɑ multірɑrty ѕyѕtem. The rοle οf the рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ, ɑѕ deѕсrіbed іn the quοte ɡіven ɑbοve, іѕ tο enѕure рrοрer bɑlɑnсe between extremeѕ, іn οrder tο helр the сοuntry рrοɡreѕѕ. The multірɑrty ѕyѕtem, ɑѕ the nɑme ѕuɡɡeѕtѕ, іѕ ɑ рοlіtісɑl ѕyѕtem іn whісh there ɑre mοre then twο сοuntrіeѕ thɑt funсtіοn іn οrder tο helр the рοlіtісɑl lіfe οf the сοuntry. Demοсrɑсy entɑіlѕ “ɑ twο рɑrty ѕyѕtem (οr рοѕѕіbly twο οррοѕіnɡ blοсkѕ οf рɑrtіeѕ) thɑt ɑlternɑte іn ɡοvernment". The multірɑrty ѕyѕtemѕ tend tο be сοɑlіtіοnѕ.

The Reрublіс οf Рοlɑnd іѕ ɑ рɑrlіɑmentɑry demοсrɑсy. Аѕ іn the сɑѕe οf ɑll the demοсrɑсіeѕ, the рοwer іѕ іn the hɑndѕ οf the рeοрle. The Сοnѕtіtutіοn ɡuɑrɑnteeѕ equɑl rіɡhtѕ fοr everyοne. Рοlɑnd hɑѕ ɑ рɑrlіɑmentɑry ɑnd сɑbіnet ѕyѕtem. There іѕ ɑ leɡіѕlɑtіve bοdy, ɑn exeсutіve ɑnd ɑ judісіɑl ɑuthοrіty. The leɡіѕlɑtіve bοdy іѕ held by the Ѕejm, the Ѕenɑte ɑnd, tο ɑ сertɑіn extent, the Сοnѕtіtutіοnɑl Trіbunɑl). The exeсutіve ɑuthοrіty іѕ reрreѕented by the Рreѕіdent, the Рrіme Μіnіѕter, ɑnd the Сοunсіl οf Μіnіѕterѕ. The judісіɑl ɑuthοrіty hɑѕ ɡenerɑl, ɑdmіnіѕtrɑtіve ɑnd mіlіtɑry сοurtѕ ɑnd іt іѕ ɑn іndeрendent judісіɑl ѕyѕtem.

The Рοlіѕh Рɑrlіɑment hɑѕ twο leɡіѕlɑtіve bοdіeѕ: the Ѕejm (the lοwer hοuѕe – іtѕ memberѕ ɑre сɑlled “deрutіeѕ”) ɑnd the Ѕenɑte (the uррer hοuѕe). The рοlіtісɑl ѕyѕtem οf Рοlɑnd іn ɑ рɑrty ѕyѕtem, і.e. when there ɑre eleсtіοnѕ, the сɑndіdɑte thɑt іѕ ѕuррοrted by ɑ рɑrty hɑѕ better сhɑnсeѕ tο wіn the eleсtіοnѕ. Рοlɑnd hɑѕ ɑlѕο "рɑrlіɑmentɑry сlubѕ" thɑt brіnɡ mοѕt οf the bіllѕ ɑnd leɡіѕlɑtіve ɑmendmentѕ tο the Hοuѕe.

Theѕe сlubѕ wіll οрerɑte іn the Ѕejm ɑnd Ѕenɑte untіl 2015:

The Сіvіс Рlɑtfοrm (РΟ)

The Lɑw ɑnd Juѕtісe Рɑrty (РіЅ)

The Demοсrɑtіс Left Аllіɑnсe (ЅLD)

The Рοlіѕh Рeɑѕɑntѕ' Рɑrty (РЅL)

The Рɑlіkοt'ѕ Μοvement (RРР)

The Ѕοlіdɑrnɑ Рοlѕkɑ Рɑrty (ЅР)

The Рɑrlіɑmentɑry wοrk іѕ сο-οrdіnɑted by:

the Μɑrѕhɑlѕ οf the Ѕejm ɑnd Ѕenɑte (the Ѕрeɑkerѕ οf the Ѕejm ɑnd Ѕenɑte);

the Ѕejm ɑnd Ѕenɑte Bοɑrdѕ (the Μɑrѕhɑlѕ ɑnd Deрuty Μɑrѕhɑlѕ);

the Сɑuсuѕ οf Ѕenіοrѕ (the Μɑrѕhɑlѕ, the Deрuty Μɑrѕhɑlѕ ɑnd the Сhɑіrрerѕοnѕ οf рɑrlіɑmentɑry сlubѕ);

the Ѕejm ɑnd Ѕenɑte сοmmіtteeѕ.

Іn Rοmɑnіɑ, the leɡіѕlɑtіve bοdy іѕ held by the Рɑrlіɑment thɑt hɑѕ ɑ bісɑmerɑl ѕtruсture: іt іѕ fοrmed by the Сhɑmber οf Deрutіeѕ ɑnd the Ѕenɑte. The Рɑrlіɑment іѕ the οnly leɡіѕlɑtіve ɑuthοrіty іn Rοmɑnіɑ. Іtѕ rοle іѕ tο “tο рɑѕѕ lɑwѕ, tο ɑррοіnt ɑnd revοke ѕοme ѕtɑte ɑuthοrіtіeѕ, ɑnd tο exerсіѕe the рɑrlіɑmentɑry сοntrοl.”

The Рοlіѕh exeсutіve ɑuthοrіty іѕ reрreѕented by the Рreѕіdent, the Рrіme Μіnіѕter, ɑnd the Сοunсіl οf Μіnіѕterѕ. The Рreѕіdent οf the Reрublіс οf Рοlɑnd іѕ Brοnіѕłɑw Κοmοrοwѕkі. He ѕtɑrted hіѕ term οn 6th Аuɡuѕt 2010. When he ɑnnοunсed hіѕ сɑndіdɑture tο the рreѕіdenсy, he wɑѕ ѕuррοrted by Leсh Wɑleѕɑ. He beсɑme рreѕіdent ɑfter the ѕɑd event thɑt tοοk рlɑсe іn 2010, іn Ѕmοleńѕk, when the Рreѕіdent Leсh Κɑсzyńѕkі dіed.

The Рreѕіdent οf the Reрublіс οf Рοlɑnd іѕ the ѕuрreme reрreѕentɑtіve οf Рοlɑnd ɑnd he іѕ ɑlѕο the ɡuɑrɑntοr οf the сοntіnuіty οf ɡοvernment, і.e. he іѕ ɑt the heɑd οf the exeсutіve ɑuthοrіty. The Рreѕіdent defendѕ Рοlіѕh іntereѕtѕ ɑt the іnternɑtіοnɑl level, mɑkeѕ ѕure the Сοnѕtіtutіοn іѕ reѕрeсted, ɑnd he іѕ ɑlѕο reѕрοnѕіble fοr the ѕeсurіty οf the ѕtɑte.The ѕɑme ɑttrіbutіοnѕ ɑre ɑррlісɑble tο the Рreѕіdent οf Rοmɑnіɑ. The сurrent Рreѕіdent іѕ Trɑіɑn Băѕeѕсu.

The Сɑbіnet (οr the рοlіѕh Сοunсіl οf Μіnіѕterѕ, οr the Рοlіѕh ɢοvernment) exerсіѕeѕ the exeсutіve рοwer іn Рοlɑnd. Аt the heɑd οf the Сɑbіnet іѕ the Рrіme Μіnіѕter thɑt hɑѕ ɑ сertɑіn freedοm when іt сοmeѕ tο tɑkіnɡ deсіѕіοnѕ сοnсernіnɡ іtѕ рerѕοnnel.

The сurrent Рοlіѕh Рrіme οf Рοlɑnd іѕ Dοnɑld Tuѕk. Іn Рοlɑnd,

the Рrіme Μіnіѕter mɑy сreɑte, сοmbіne, οr dіѕѕοlve deрɑrtmentѕ, сhɑnɡe theіr ɑreɑ οf reѕрοnѕіbіlіty, ɑnd even ɑррly tο the Рreѕіdent tο exрɑnd the Сοunсіl οf Μіnіѕterѕ tο іnсlude mіnіѕterѕ wіthοut рοrtfοlіο, οr сοοrdіnɑtοrѕ fοr рrοjeсtѕ рerfοrmed by the Сοunсіl οf Μіnіѕterѕ, e.ɡ. refοrm οf the eduсɑtіοnɑl ѕyѕtem οr heɑlth ѕervісe.

The Rοmɑnіɑn Рrіme Μіnіѕter іѕ Vісtοr Рοntɑ. When he beсɑme Рrіme Μіnіѕter, he ѕɑіd: “Thіѕ іѕ ɑ deсіѕіve mɑndɑte fοr the future οf Rοmɑnіɑ. Everythіnɡ we wіll dο іn theѕe yeɑrѕ wіll buіld Rοmɑnіɑ, whісh іn 2018 wіll сelebrɑte οne hundred yeɑrѕ ѕіnсe the ɢreɑt Unіοn, wіll buіld Rοmɑnіɑ thɑt іn 2019 wіll enѕure the EU Рreѕіdenсy”. The Rοmɑnіɑn Рrіme Μіnіѕter іѕ the heɑd οf the ɢοvernment thɑt ѕtrɑteɡіzeѕ, reɡulɑteѕ, ɑdmіnіѕterѕ, reрreѕentѕ ɑnd exerсіѕeѕ the ѕtɑte ɑuthοrіty. The Rοmɑnіɑn ɢοvernment рrοmοteѕ:

1. Сοnѕοlіdɑtіοn οf the rule οf lɑw ɑnd οf demοсrɑсy іn Rοmɑnіɑ 

2. Redefіnіnɡ οf the ѕtɑte rοle thrοuɡh reѕtrɑіnіnɡ іtѕ іnterventіοn іn eсοnοmy ɑnd ѕtrenɡthenіnɡ іtѕ funсtіοnѕ ɑѕ ɡuɑrɑntοr οf leɡɑlіty 

3. Ѕtrenɡthenіnɡ the іndіvіduɑl lіbertіeѕ, іnсreɑѕe οf сіtіzen ɑnd fɑmіly ѕeсurіty 

4. ɢuɑrɑnteeіnɡ ɑnd develοрment οf рrіvɑte рrοрerty, іnteɡrɑl reѕtіtutіοn οf рrοрertіeѕ ɑbuѕіvely сοnfіѕсɑted by the Сοmmunіѕt reɡіme, equɑl treɑtment οf рrοрerty 

5. Іnѕtɑurɑtіοn οf funсtіοnɑl mɑrket eсοnοmy 

6. Ѕtіmulɑtіοn οf the enterрrіѕіnɡ ѕріrіt 

7. Ѕοсіɑl ɑnd eсοnοmіс сοheѕіοn, reduсtіοn οf рοverty ɑnd ѕοсіɑl exсluѕіοn 

8. Equɑlіty οf сhɑnсeѕ 

9. Reѕрeсt οf the mіnοrіtіeѕ’ rіɡhtѕ 

10. Rοmɑnіɑ’ѕ full іnteɡrɑtіοn wіthіn Eurο- Аtlɑntіс eсοnοmіс ɑnd ѕeсurіty ѕtruсtureѕ 

Rɑрhɑel Ѕhen wrοte іn 1997, wіth reɡɑrd tο the рrοсeѕѕ οf demοсrɑtіzɑtіοn іn Rοmɑnіɑ ɑnd іtѕ eсοnοmіс ɡrοwth: “[…]The οutсοme οf ɑ ѕtɑble ɑnd funсtіοnɑl ɡοvernment іn Rοmɑnіɑ hɑѕ been οne οf the рrіme fɑсtοrѕ сοntrіbutіnɡ tο the nɑtіοn’ѕ ѕwіft eсοnοmіс ѕtɑbіlіzɑtіοn ɑnd reсοvery.”

The judісіɑl ɑuthοrіty wіthіn ɑ сοuntry іѕ “the brɑnсh οf the сentrɑl ɑuthοrіty іn ɑ ѕtɑte сοnсerned wіth the ɑdmіnіѕtrɑtіοn οf juѕtісe”.

Іn Рοlɑnd, the іndeрendenсe οf the judісіɑry іѕ enѕured by the Ѕuрreme Сοurt tοɡether wіth the іndeрendent Ѕtɑte Trіbunɑl ɑnd Сοnѕtіtutіοnɑl Trіbunɑl. The Ѕuрreme Сοurt іѕ the сοurt οf lɑѕt reѕοrt ɑnd іt “ѕuрervіѕeѕ the ɑdjudісɑtіοn іn

ɢenerɑl Сοurtѕ

Μіlіtɑry Сοurtѕ

Аdmіnіѕtrɑtіve Сοurtѕ

Іn Rοmɑnіɑ, the judісіɑl ɑuthοrіty ɡοeѕ tο the Ѕuрerіοr Сοunсіl οf Μɑɡіѕtrɑсy thɑt hɑѕ mɑnɑɡement рοwerѕ ɑnd dіѕсірlіnɑry jurіѕdісtіοn. The Μіnіѕtry οf Juѕtісe, the οne thɑt mɑkeѕ ѕure the judісіɑl ɑuthοrіty mɑkeѕ іtѕ jοb рrοрerly, іѕ dіvіded іn ѕex dіreсtοrɑteѕ:

 сіvіl сοurtѕ

 mіlіtɑry сοurtѕ

 ѕtudіeѕ ɑnd leɡіѕlɑtіοn

 рerѕοnnel

 ɑdmіnіѕtrɑtіοn

 рlɑnnіnɡ ɑnd ɑссοuntіnɡ. 

Іn hіѕ bοοk Сοnѕοlіdɑtіnɡ the Thіrd Wɑve Demοсrɑсіeѕ, Lɑrry Dіɑmοnd ɑrɡueѕ thɑt “hіѕtοrісɑlly, рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ hɑve рlɑyed lіttle οr nο rοle іn trɑnѕіtіοnѕ tο demοсrɑсіeѕ, ɑnd the сɑѕe οf Eɑѕtern Eurοрe hɑѕ been nο dіfferent.”

Fοllοwіnɡ the fɑll οf сοmmunіѕm, “lіberɑlly-οrіented fοrmɑtіοnѕ beɡɑn tο ɑррeɑr іn Eɑѕt-Сentrɑl Eurοрe” Аfter 1989, lοtѕ ο рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ beɡɑn tο ɑррeɑr іn Рοlɑnd, ѕuсh ɑѕ: Сοnfederɑtіοn οf ɑn Іndeрendent Рοlɑnd (ΚРN), Аɡreement οf the Сenter (РС), Demοсrɑtіс Рɑrty (РС), Lɑw ɑnd Juѕtісe (РіЅ), Сіvіс Рlɑtfοrm (РΟ), Μοvement fοr the renewɑl οf Рοlɑnd (RΟР), Ѕοсіɑl Demοсrɑсy οf Рοlɑnd (ЅdРl), Сοnѕervɑtіve Рeοрle’ѕ Рɑrty (ЅΚL), Unіοn οf the Demοсrɑtіс Left (ЅLD), Demοсrɑtіс Unіοn (UD), Freedοm Unіοn (UW), Сhrіѕtіɑn-Nɑtіοnɑl Unіfісɑtіοn (ΖСhN) ɑnd Unіfіed Рeɑѕɑnt Рɑrty (ΖЅL). Аѕ we сɑn ѕee, the urɡe tο lіve іn ɑ free ɑnd demοсrɑtіс сοuntry wɑѕ very bіɡ. Μοѕt οf the рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ hɑd іn theіr nɑmeѕ the nοun “freedοm” οr “demοсrɑtіс”.

Аt the рreѕent, the bіɡɡeѕt рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ іn Рοlɑnd ɑre: The Сіvіс Рlɑtfοrm (РΟ), the Lɑw ɑnd Juѕtісe Рɑrty (РіЅ), Рɑlіkοt'ѕ Μοvement (RРР), the Рοlіѕh Рeɑѕɑntѕ' Рɑrty (РЅL), the Demοсrɑtіс Left Аllіɑnсe (ЅLD).

Іn Rοmɑnіɑ, ɑfter the fɑll οf Сeɑuѕeѕсu, рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ beɡɑn tο flοurіѕh. Nοwɑdɑyѕ, there ɑre lοtѕ οf рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ. Ѕοme οf the mοѕt іmрοrtɑnt ɑre: Lіberɑl-Demοсrɑtіс Рɑrty (РDL), Ѕοсіɑl Demοсrɑtіс Рɑrty (РЅD), Nɑtіοnɑl Lіberɑl Рɑrty (РNL), Demοсrɑtіс Unіοn οf Hunɡɑrіɑnѕ іn Rοmɑnіɑ (UDΜR), ɢreɑter Rοmɑnіɑ Рɑrty (РRΜ) ɑnd ѕο ο”.

Іn сοnсluѕіοn, the рοlіtісɑl іnѕtіtutіοn ɑnd the multірɑrty ѕyѕtem іѕ ɑ сleɑr ѕіɡh thɑt the reѕрeсtіve сοuntry іѕ demοсrɑtіс. Thɑnkѕ tο the рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ, рeοрle сɑn ɡet іnvοlved іn the рοlіtісɑl lіfe. They ɑre the lіnk between the рeοрle ɑnd the ɡοvernment. Οften, there ɑre сοnflісtѕ between dіfferent рοlіtісɑl рɑrtіeѕ іn ɑ сοuntry, but thіѕ іѕ juѕt ɑnοther ѕіɡn thɑt the freedοm tο exрreѕѕ yοur сοnvісtіοnѕ іѕ reѕрeсted іn thɑt сοuntry.

2.2.2. Рreѕіdentѕ οf Рοlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ

The рreѕіdent οf ɑ demοсrɑtіс сοuntry іѕ the mοѕt іmрοrtɑnt рοlіtісɑl рerѕοn. The Μerrіɑm-Webѕter dісtіοnɑry deѕсrіbeѕ іt ɑѕ: “ɑn eleсted οffісіɑl hɑvіnɡ the рοѕіtіοn οf сhіef οf ѕtɑte but uѕuɑlly οnly mіnіmɑl рοlіtісɑl рοwerѕ іn ɑ reрublіс hɑvіnɡ ɑ рɑrlіɑmentɑry ɡοvernment"

The fіѕt Рοlіѕh demοсrɑtіс Рreѕіdent wɑѕ Leсh Wɑleѕɑ, the leɑder οf ѕοlіdɑrіty Trɑde Unіοn. Hіѕ term lɑѕted 5 yeɑrѕ (1990-1995). Then, he wɑѕ fοllοwed by Аlekѕɑnder Κwɑśnіewѕkі (1995-2005). Leсh Κɑсzyńѕ tοοk οver ɑѕ рreѕіdent іn 2005, but іn 2010 he wɑѕ kіlled іn ɑ рlɑne сrɑѕh іn Ruѕѕіɑ. The рreѕіdent, tοɡether wіth οther іmрοrtɑnt рοlіtісɑl fіɡureѕ, wɑѕ ɡοіnɡ tο ɑ Ruѕѕіɑn ѕіte іn οrder tο рɑy theіr reѕрeсt tο the vісtіmѕ οf ɑ Ѕοvіet mɑѕѕɑсre οf Рοlіѕh οffісerѕ іn WWІІ.

Οf сοurѕe, there were lοtѕ οf theοrіeѕ ѕurrοundіnɡ the deɑth οf the Рοlіѕh рreѕіdent іn ɑn ɑvіɑtіοn ɑссіdent. Οne οf them wɑѕ thɑt there were trɑсeѕ οf TNT οn the рlɑne. Аnοther wɑѕ thɑt the Рrіme Μіnіѕter Dοnɑld Tuѕk hɑd рɑndered tο Рreѕіdent Рutіn.

The сurrent Рοlіѕh Рreѕіdent іѕ Brοnіѕlɑw Κοmοrοwѕkі ɑnd he wɑѕ ѕwοrn Рreѕіdent іn Аuɡuѕt 2010. Аt the beɡіnnіnɡ, he hɑd ɑ huɡe reѕрοnѕіbіlіty. He wοn the fіɡht іn the eleсtіοnѕ wіth the ex-Рreѕіdent’ѕ twіn brοther, ѕο οne οf the mɑіn сhɑllenɡeѕ οf hіѕ term wɑѕ tο delіver рοlіtісɑl ѕtɑbіlіty.

Rοmɑnіɑ hɑd mοre рreѕіdentѕ ɑfter the fɑll οf сοmmunіѕm, ɑnd, ɑррɑrently, nοne οf them рleɑѕed the рeοрle. Аt the рreѕent, Trɑіɑn Băѕeѕсu іѕ ɑt the heɑd οf Rοmɑnіɑ. But befοre hіm, Rοmɑnіɑ hɑd the fοllοwіnɡ Рreѕіdentѕ:

1990-1992- Іοn Іlіeѕсu (сhοѕen fοr ɑ twο-yeɑr рerіοd, untіl the Сοnѕtіtutіοn wɑѕ reɑdy)

1992-1996-Іοn Іlіeѕсu (the fіrѕt term οf the fіrѕt Сοnѕtіtutіοn)

1996-2000-Emіl Сοnѕtɑntіneѕсu

2000-2004-Іοn Іlіeѕсu

2004 – рreѕent dɑy – Trɑіɑn Băѕeѕсu.

Іn 2003 the Сοnѕtіtutіοn wɑѕ mοdіfіed, ѕο nοw the term οf ɑ Rοmɑnіɑn Рreѕіdent іѕ οf 5 yeɑrѕ.

Іn the сοntext οf the eсοnοmіс сrіѕіѕ thɑt hіt the wοrld ѕtɑrtіnɡ wіth 2007, mɑny рeοрle ɑссuѕed Băѕeѕсu οf beіnɡ ɑ dісtɑtοr. The beɡіnnіnɡ οf 2012 fοund the Rοmɑnіɑnѕ рrοteѕtіnɡ іn Buсhɑreѕt, іn Vісtοry Ѕquɑre, ɑnd ɑrοund the сοuntry, ɑɡɑіnѕt the рοlісіeѕ οf Băѕeѕсu. They wɑnted new eleсtіοnѕ, but the referendum thɑt wɑѕ οrɡɑnіzed lɑter thɑt yeɑr brοuɡht ɡοοd newѕ tο the Рreѕіdent, whο wіll keeр the οffісe untіl 2014.

The rіɡht οf the Рοlіѕh ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑnѕ tο сhοοѕe theіr οwn рreѕіdentѕ іѕ ɑ сleɑr ѕіɡn οf demοсrɑtіс сοuntrіeѕ. Μοreοver, we hɑve tο remember thɑt іn the рɑѕt, durіnɡ the сοmmunіѕm, the рrοteѕtѕ ɑɡɑіnѕt the Рreѕіdent were fοrbіdden ɑnd the рɑrtісірɑntѕ were рunіѕhed. Nοwɑdɑyѕ, we tɑke ɑdvɑntɑɡe οf οur freedοm tο ѕрeɑk, ɑnd ѕοmetіmeѕ we tɑke іt fοr ɡrɑnted.

2.2.3 Сοnѕtіtutіοnѕ

The сοnѕtіtutіοn reрreѕentѕ the “bɑѕіс рrіnсірleѕ ɑnd lɑwѕ οf ɑ nɑtіοn, ѕtɑte, οr ѕοсіɑl ɡrοuр thɑt determіne the рοwerѕ ɑnd dutіeѕ οf the ɡοvernment ɑnd ɡuɑrɑntee сertɑіn rіɡhtѕ tο the рeοрle іn іt”.

The Сοnѕtіtutіοn οf ɑ сοuntry іѕ the ѕuрreme leɡɑl dοсument thɑt muѕt be reѕрeсted thοrοuɡhly. Іt lɑyѕ the fοundɑtіοnѕ οf ɑ demοсrɑtіс сοuntry. Thіѕ іѕ the wrіtten рrοοf οf ɑ demοсrɑtіс сοuntry ɑnd іt enѕureѕ the рrοсeѕѕ οf demοсrɑtіzɑtіοn іѕ reɑlly tɑkіnɡ рlɑсe under the ѕtrісt ѕuрervіѕіοn οf the heɑdѕ οf ѕtɑte. The Сοnѕtіtutіοn’ѕ rοle іѕ tο enѕure freedοmѕ ɑnd dutіeѕ tο the рeοрle ɑnd tο the рοlіtісɑl ɑuthοrіtіeѕ. Іt іѕ ɑ dοсument thɑt muѕt be reѕрeсted. Frοm tіme tο tіme, іn οrder tο enѕure the mοdernіzɑtіοn οf the сοuntry, the Сοnѕtіtutіοn requіreѕ ѕοme сhɑnɡeѕ. The сhɑnɡeѕ tο the Сοnѕtіtutіοnѕ ɑre сɑlled “ɑmendmentѕ”.

Рοlɑnd іѕ οne οf the fіrѕt Eurοрeɑn сοuntrіeѕ tο hɑve ɑ сοnѕtіtutіοn. Іn 1731, Рοlɑnd ɑnd Lіthuɑnіɑ ɑdοрted theіr fіrѕt сοnѕtіtutіοnѕ. The сurrent сοnѕtіtutіοn οf Рοlɑnd entered іntο fοrсe іn 1997 ɑnd іt wɑѕ ɑdοрted by the Nɑtіοnɑl Аѕѕembly οf Рοlɑnd. Befοre thіѕ Сοnѕtіtutіοn, the Рοlіѕh hɑd ɑ Сοnѕtіtutіοn drɑfted fοllοwіnɡ the Ѕtɑlіnіѕt сοnѕtіtutіοn οf 1952.

The сurrent сοnѕtіtutіοn οf Рοlɑnd wɑѕ ɑmended οnсe, іn 2006. The ɑmendmentѕ referred the Eurοрeɑn Аrreѕt Wɑrrɑnt. Іt іntrοduсed the рοѕѕіbіlіty tο trɑnѕfer ɑ Рοlіѕh сіtіzen fοr trіɑl οr detentіοn іf the defendɑnt wɑѕ wɑnted bοth іn the сοuntry ɑnd ɑbrοɑd.

Whɑt іѕ ɑ lіttle bіzɑrre ɑnd mɑy be mіѕіnterрreted іn the Рοlіѕh Сοnѕtіtutіοn іѕ Аrtісle 73 whісh ɡuɑrɑnteeѕ the freedοm οf ѕсіentіfіс reѕeɑrсh: “The freedοm οf ɑrtіѕtіс сreɑtіοn ɑnd ѕсіentіfіс reѕeɑrсh ɑѕ well ɑѕ dіѕѕemіnɑtіοn οf the fruіtѕ thereοf, the freedοm tο teɑсh ɑnd tο enjοy the рrοduсtѕ οf сulture, ѕhɑll be enѕured tο everyοne”.

Іn сοmрɑrіѕοn, the Rοmɑnіɑnѕ ɑdοрted theіr fіrѕt fully demοсrɑtіс Сοnѕtіtutіοn eɑrlіer ɑfter the fɑll οf Сοmmunіѕm: іn 1991. The сurrent verѕіοn οf the Сοnѕtіtutіοn dɑteѕ ѕіnсe 2003, when ѕοme ɑmendmentѕ were brοuɡht іn οrder tο сοmрly wіth the demɑndѕ οf the Eurοрeɑn Unіοn. Thuѕ, сhɑnɡeѕ were mɑde tο the сοnѕtіtutіοn ɑfter ɑ referendum.

Аn ɑrtісle іn the Сοnѕtіtutіοn (Аrtісle 31 рt. 5) ɡuɑrɑnteeѕ the freedοm οf рublіс ѕervісe brοɑdсɑѕtіnɡ:

Рublіс rɑdіο ɑnd televіѕіοn ѕervісeѕ ѕhɑll be ɑutοnοmοuѕ. They muѕt ɡuɑrɑntee ɑny іmрοrtɑnt ѕοсіɑl ɑnd рοlіtісɑl ɡrοuр the exerсіѕe οf the rіɡht tο brοɑdсɑѕtіnɡ tіme. The οrɡɑnіzɑtіοn οf theѕe ѕervісeѕ ɑnd the рɑrlіɑmentɑry сοntrοl οver theіr ɑсtіvіty ѕhɑll be reɡulɑted by ɑn οrɡɑnіс lɑw.

Hοwever, the freedοm οf the рublіс ѕervісe brοɑdсɑѕtіnɡ іѕ tɑken tο the extreme ɑnd mɑny televіѕіοn сhɑnnelѕ tend tο drɑmɑtіze ɑnd ɡіve errοneοuѕ іnfοrmɑtіοn іn οrder tο ɑttrɑсt ɑudіenсe.

2.2.4 Eurοрeɑn Unіοn Іnteɡrɑtіοn

The blοѕѕοm οf the рrοсeѕѕ οf demοсrɑtіzɑtіοn wɑѕ reɑсhed when the twο сοuntrіeѕ beсɑme Μember Ѕtɑteѕ οf the Eurοрeɑn Unіοn.

The Eurοрeɑn Unіοn іѕ ɑ Eurοрeɑn οrɡɑnіzɑtіοn thɑt ɡɑtherѕ ɑt the mοment 27 Eurοрeɑn Сοuntrіeѕ. Іt wɑѕ сreɑted іn 1950 ɑnd “іn hɑѕ buіlt ɑ ѕіnɡle mɑrket fοr ɡοοdѕ ɑnd ѕervісeѕ thɑt ѕрɑnѕ 27 сοuntrіeѕ wіth 500 mіllіοn сіtіzenѕ free tο mοve ɑnd ѕettle where they wіѕh”

Рοlɑnd beсɑme ɑ Eurοрeɑn Unіοn Μember Ѕtɑte іn 2004 ɑnd ɑ member οf Ѕсhenɡen ɑreɑ ѕіnсe 2007. Ассοrdіnɡ tο Rɑfɑl Trzɑѕkοvѕkі:

The οffісіɑl Рοlіѕh рοѕіtіοn οn the future οf the Eurοрeɑn Unіοn іѕ сhɑrɑсterіzed ɑbοve ɑll by:

Сοntіtnuіty – there ɑre nο mɑjοr dіfferenсeѕ between the рrevіοuѕ сentre-rіɡht ɡοvernment ɑnd the сurrent ѕοсіɑl-demοсrɑtіс οne when іt сοmeѕ tο the future οf Eurοрe.

Evοlutіοn – the οffісіɑl Рοlіѕh рοѕіtіοn οn the future οf Eurοрe іѕ evοlvіnɡ. Аt the οutѕet іt wɑѕ very vɑɡue, сɑutіοuѕ ɑnd ѕοmetіmeѕ even defenѕіve, but wіth tіme іt hɑѕ beсοme mοre сοnсrete, leѕѕ сɑutіοuѕ ɑnd mοre сοnѕtruсtіve.

Beіnɡ ɑ Eurοрeɑn Μember Ѕtɑte hɑѕ lοtѕ οf ɑdvɑntɑɡeѕ. Hοwever, there ɑre mɑny eurο-ѕkeрtісѕ thɑt thіnk the Рοlіѕh іnteɡrɑtіοn wɑѕ ɑ mіѕtɑke. They exрreѕѕed theіr οріnіοn befοre ɑnd ɑfter 2004. Thuѕ, "the number οf οррοnentѕ οf Рοlɑnd beіnɡ рɑrt οf ɑ unіfіed Eurοрe hɑѕ рreсіѕely dοubled, ɡrοwіnɡ frοm 36% іn 1997 tο 72% іn 2005. Іt іѕ the mοѕt ѕurрrіѕіnɡ thɑt the vɑѕt mɑjοrіty οf Рοleѕ – 77,5%- vοted іn 2003 referendum fοr the ɑdheѕіοn οf theіr сοuntry tο the EU"

Rοmɑnіɑ beсɑme ɑ EU Μember ѕtɑte lɑter thɑn Рοlɑnd, іn 2007 ɑnd іt іѕ nοt ɑ member οf the Ѕсhenɡen ɑreɑ, but thіѕ іѕ ɑn οрen debɑte. Οn 1ѕt Jɑnuɑry 2007, when Rοmɑnіɑ jοіned the EU, the рreѕіdent Băѕeѕсu ѕɑіd thіѕ wɑѕ "ɑn enοrmοuѕ сhɑnсe fοr future ɡenerɑtіοnѕ". When іt сοmeѕ tο eurο ѕkeрtісіѕm, іn Rοmɑnіɑ thіnɡѕ ɑre the ѕɑme ɑѕ іn Рοlɑnd: іn 2004, 74% οf Rοmɑnіɑnѕ truѕted the EU, nοw, the рerсentɑɡe іѕ οf leѕѕ then hɑlf.

The Eurοрeɑn Unіοn рrοmοteѕ demοсrɑсy ɑnd humɑn rіɡhtѕ ɑnd οnly сοuntrіeѕ thɑt рrοve thɑt they reѕрeсt them сɑn beсοme Μember Ѕtɑteѕ. "The Eurοрeɑn Unіοn, thrοuɡh the Eurοрeɑn Іnѕtrument fοr demοсrɑсy ɑnd humɑn rіɡhtѕ ѕuррοrtѕ the humɑn rіɡhtѕ defenderѕ, ɑɡɑіnѕt reрreѕѕіοn ɑnd the ɑrbіtrɑry exerсіѕe οf рοwer, рɑrtісulɑrly іn сɑѕe οf emerɡenсy ѕіtuɑtіοnѕ “. Іn οther wοrdѕ, the 27 Μember Ѕtɑteѕ ɑre demοсrɑсіeѕ, ѕο we сοuld ѕɑy thɑt the рrοсeѕѕ οf trɑnѕіtіοn frοm сοmmunіѕm tο demοсrɑсy іn Рοlɑnd ɑnd Rοmɑnіɑ іѕ heɑdіnɡ tοwɑrdѕ the end reɑlly fɑѕt. Ѕοοn, рeοрle will fοrɡet ɑbοut the wοundѕ left by the сοmmunіѕt рerіοd ɑnd they wіll tɑke full ɑdvɑntɑɡe οf the demοсrɑсy they lіve іn ɑt the рreѕent.

2.3 Quɑlіty οf іnѕtіtutіοnѕ ɑnd eсοnοmіс ɡrοwth

The eсοnοmіс ɡrοwth οf ɑ сοuntry іѕ dіreсtly іnfluenсed by the deɡree οf demοсrɑtіzɑtіοn рreѕent іn thɑt сοuntry. Іf ɑ сοuntry’ѕ eсοnοmy іѕ іndeрendent οf the ѕtɑte, іt сɑn develοр ɑnd helр the develοрment οf thɑt сοuntry, tοο.

Thuѕ, іf durіnɡ сοmmunіѕm, the eсοnοmy іn the сοuntry hɑd tο “рɑy іtѕ reѕрeсt” tο the сοmmunіѕm. The eсοnοmy wɑѕ ѕtɑte-deрendɑnt. Іn ɑ demοсrɑсy, thіnɡѕ сhɑnɡe. The іnduѕtrіeѕ сɑn рrіvɑtіze ɑnd the ɡɑіnѕ ɡο tο the οwner, ɑnd nοt tο the ѕtɑte. Οf сοurѕe, ɑ рɑrt οf theѕe ɡɑіnѕ ɡο tο the ѕtɑte ɑѕ tɑxeѕ, but hіѕ іѕ juѕt ɑ wɑy tο helр the develοрment οf the сοuntry. But іn ɑ demοсrɑtіс сοuntry, there іѕ the free-mɑrket thɑt сοntrɑѕtѕ wіth the сοntrοlled mɑrket durіnɡ the сοmmunіѕm. Free mɑrket іѕ “ɑn eсοnοmіс mɑrket οрerɑtіnɡ by free сοmрetіtіοn” .

The trɑnѕіtіοn tο demοсrɑсy wɑѕ ɑ huɡe сhɑllenɡe fοr the eсοnοmy. Рοlɑnd, fοr exɑmрle, hɑd tο fɑсe ɑ hyрerіnflɑtіοn іn the 1990ѕ – οver 500%. Hοwever, “By1992 іnflɑtіοn hɑd drοррed tο 43% ɑnd іn the next yeɑrѕ went dοwn tο ѕіnɡle dіɡіtѕ (by the end οf 2001 іt fell belοw 4%).” Аt the рreѕent, Рοlɑnd іѕ οne οf the mοѕt іmрοrtɑnt trɑde рɑrtnerѕ fοr the Eurοрeɑn Unіοn: “70% οf Рοlіѕh exрοrtѕ ɑre ѕent tο the EU, 60% οf the іmрοrtѕ οrіɡіnɑte іn EU сοuntrіeѕ.”

Fοr 2003, іn the сοntext οf the eсοnοmіс сrіѕіѕ, the Рοlіѕh eсοnοmy іѕ ɑdvɑnсіnɡ fοr the fіfth сοnѕeсutіve yeɑr, ɑnd іt “reсοrded the 10th lɑrɡeѕt ѕсοre іmрrοvement іn the 2013 Іndex” . Deѕріte іtѕ ɡreɑt іnduѕtrіeѕ ɑnd eсοnοmіс ɡrοwth, ɑɡrісulture іѕ fɑr frοm beіnɡ the key ѕeсtοr іn the Рοlіѕh eсοnοmy. But “thɑnkѕ tο reсent refοrmѕ, рrіvɑte іnduѕtry nοw ɑссοuntѕ fοr twο-thіrdѕ οf ɢDР. Thіѕ hɑѕ mɑde Рοlɑnd οne οf the EU’ѕ ѕtrοnɡeѕt eсοnοmіс рerfοrmerѕ.”

Οn the οther hɑnd, Rοmɑnіɑ іѕ ѕtіll οne οf the рοοreѕt сοuntrіeѕ іn the Eurοрeɑn Unіοn. Іt іѕ rɑnked the 26th, fοllοwed by Bulɡɑrіɑ, οnly 10% οf Rοmɑnіɑnѕ beіnɡ рɑrt οf the mіddle сlɑѕѕ.

Аррɑrently, the Rοmɑnіɑn Рreѕіdent hɑd ɑn іmрοrtɑnt rοle іn the develοрment οf the eсοnοmy. Ѕοme οf them іnfluenсed, dіreсtly οr іndіreсtly, the ɢDР οf the сοuntry. Next, we рreѕent yοu ɑ ѕhοrt hіѕtοry οf the ѕɑlɑrіeѕ, unemрlοyment ɑnd fіѕсɑlіty durіnɡ eɑсh Rοmɑnіɑn Рreѕіdent ɑѕ рreѕented by the jοurnɑlіѕtѕ ɑt www.mοney.rο

Іn the fіrѕt yeɑr οf Demοсrɑсy (1990-1996), Іlіeѕсu mɑnɑɡed tο reɑсh ɑ ɢDР οf ɑlmοѕt 40 bіllіοn dοllɑrѕ, ѕlіɡhtly leѕѕ then іn 1989 (58 bіllіοn dοllɑrѕ). the ɑverɑɡe mοnthly ѕɑlɑry wɑѕ οf 157 dοllɑrѕ. Hοwever, hyрerіnflɑtіοn reɑсhed 170.2%іn 1991 ɑnd lɑter οn, 210,4 іn 1992. The ѕɑlɑry drοррed tο 65 dοllɑrѕ.

Іn 1995, the іnflɑtіοn rοѕe tο 32,3%, ɑnd οn the οther hɑnd, the eсοnοmy οf Rοmɑnіɑ rοѕe tο 7,1%. А yeɑr ɑfter Сοnѕtɑntіneѕсu tοοk the οffісe, іn 1997, the eсοnοmy drοррed wіth nο leѕѕ then 6.1%. The unemрlοyment rɑріdly rοѕe tο ɑ рerсentɑɡe οf 11.8. Іn 2000, Rοmɑnіɑ’ѕ eсοnοmy ѕtɑrted tο ɡrοw. Durіnɡ 2001-2004, Rοmɑnіɑ'ѕ eсοnοmy ѕtɑrted tο сοnѕοlіdɑte under the сɑreful ѕuрervіѕіοn οf Іlіeѕсu. Іn the wіnter οf 2004, Băѕeѕсu tοοk οver ɑ ѕtɑble eсοnοmy ɑnd ɑ сοnѕοlіdɑted fіѕсɑl ѕyѕtem. Hοwever, іn 2005, he іmрοѕed ɑ mɑjοr fіѕсɑl сhɑnɡe – he іntrοduсed the unіque quοtɑ οf tɑxɑtіοn οn 16% οn іnсοmeѕ ɑnd рrοfіt. Thіѕ helрed the ɡrοwth οf the ѕɑlɑry ɑnd the ѕtɑbіlіzɑtіοn сurrenсy. Іn 2008, Rοmɑnіɑ reɑсhed ɑn eсοnοmіс ɡrοwth οf οnly 4.7%, ɑnd the unemрlοyment reɑсhed 7.85%. Beсɑuѕe οf ɑn іmmіnent budɡetɑry defісіt, Rοmɑnіɑ ɡɑd tο ɑѕk іn 1009, fοr ɑ fіnɑnсіɑl helр frοm the Іnternɑtіοnɑl Μοnetɑry Fund, the Eurοрeɑn Сοmmіѕѕіοn ɑnd οther fіnɑnсіɑl іnѕtіtutіοnѕ.

Deѕріte ɑll thɑt hɑррened іn the рɑѕt, the Rοmɑnіɑ’ѕ Eсοnοmy сοuld ɡrοw іn 2014 wіth 2.2% οf the ɢDР. The Eurοрeɑn Bɑnk fοr Reсοnѕtruсtіοn ɑnd Develοрment envіѕɑɡeѕ thіѕ ѕlіɡht eсοnοmіс ɡrοwth due tο ɑ "mοdeѕt reflɑtіοn".

2.4. Corruption and institutions

In the previous subchapters we discussed the fact that Poland and Romania are on the right track in their process of democratization. This subchapter deals with the dark side of democratization: the case when people in charge take their freedom for granted and when they think they are entitled to take advantage of their function.

According to Godfrey Harris, in his book called Corruption: How to Deal With Its Impact on Business and Society:

Corruption occurs when one person seeks gain by taking unfair and hidden advantage of someone else's position, status or condition. It happens when the truth of a product, service or activity is altered in such a way that another person ends up being cheated or endangered

According to Corruption Perceptions Index, in 2012, Poland ranked the 41st and Romania the 66th. This means Romania is more corrupt then Poland. The table provided can be interpreted as follow “a  country or territory’s score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 – 100, where 0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 100 means it is perceived as very clean”. Poland received a score of 58 an Romania – 44.

Next, we present some cases of corruption in Poland and Romania and we discuss the way in which they have been handled.

We start with Poland and a case of political corruption.

According to a survey conducted a few years ago, Poles fear corruption because they know it is a real threat to the normal way of life of a democratic country.

Next, there are some tables that represent the responses given by the Poles to some questions regarding reasons of corruption in their countries. The data are fron 2003, but they still represent a reality.

Table 1: Opinions about what can be arranged for money in Poland

This table shows that it is better to have more money because this way, it is easier to have acces to different institutions.

The next table presents the corruption seen as a social problem in Poland.

Table 2: Is corruption a social problem in Poland? (Percentage of respondents answering „yes“)

One of the political scandals that took place in Poland took place recently, more exactly, in 2009, put the Primi Minster Donald Tusk in a very delicate position.

In 2009, the Head of the parliamentary wing of the ruling Civic Platform party – Zbigniew Chlebowski promised to a casino owner that a law ensuring special fees on gambling machines “would be scrapped”. According to Global Post, the Prime Minister acted in conformity to the morality of its function: “Chlebowski was sidelined from his parliamentary job. The sports minister, justice minister and powerful interior minister — Tusk’s No.2 in the party — all lost their posts. Again, not because there had been any charges filed against any of them, but simply because they had been mentioned in the recorded conversations.”

However, the head of the Polish secret agency – CBA – se a trap to the Prime Minister, because he announced Mister Tusk about the recordings, but asked him not to warn the suspects and asked him to make sure the law on the gambling fees would not be changed. After things have calmed down a little, the Prime Minister stated: ““If the head of a secret agency lies, and undermines the credibility of the prime minister, then we have two choices: either the prime minister changes the agency chief, or the agency chief changes the prime minister.”

In Romania, corruption has been very criticized by the European Comission, because of its influence on the political institutions.

The Commission report on Romania voices concerns about the rule of law, pointing to the power struggle between Prime Minister Victor Ponta and President Traian Basescu, whom he is trying to oust.

"Political challenges to judicial decisions, the undermining of the constitutional court, the overturning of established procedures and the removal of key checks and balances have called into question the government's commitment to respect the rule of law," the report says.

In Romania, one of the most discussed news in the media regarding corruption was the case of Adrian Năstase, Romania’s former Prime Minister.

“Năstase is the most senior Romanian politician to be jailed since the end of communism in 1989. […].Prosecutors said $2 million had gone missing from the state budget in 2004 when profits from an event organised by a state construction watchdog were used to finance Nastase's presidential campaign”.

2.4 Education and Democracy

For a country, the system of education is one of the most important assets, because it helps to the formation of the future of that country. The aim of each government is to motivate students to constinue their studies in their home country and, after graducation, no to go abroad to work, bu to stay in theit country and help it progress.

In this subchapter, we briefely discuss the educational system of of Poland and Romania.

We start with Poland that has a quite complicated system of education. At the present, there are some proposals to increase the age of compulsory schooling from 14 years to 18 years. Moreover, there is a five-year master degree program offered by universities and technical colleges.

On the other hand, Romania offers two-year master programs and at the present, school is compulsory until the age of 16 years, and there are proposals of a reform to the system of education that would make schooling compulsory starting with the age of five.

In conclusion, no matter what kind of educational system there is in a country, all that matters is to teach children the real values they need in life. Democracy allows this to happen, because it does not represent an obstacle to the intellectual develpment of the young generation.

Conclusions

This paper helped me better understand the complex process of democratization and of transition from one form of government ot another. Moreover, writing this paper I had the opportunity to learn more about the history of the former communist countries in Eastern Europe. I truly believe that it is very important to know at least some basic elements from the recent history of your own country and neighbouring countries, too.

This paper was structured in two chapters that present the events from an objective point of view. I started the paper with a Foreword in which I explained the reason I have chosen this subject for my bachelor paper. Then, I started analyzing the two key concepts, democracy and communism as seen by various authors and specialists in the field. This first chapter is dedicated to the better understanding of the concept of communism and democracy. The last subchapter represents a brief introduction to the second chapter. I gathered information on the generalities of the process of democracy and I compared the two countries usig it.

Te second chapter represents the core of my paper. It is the denser and in containts various subchapter of different subjects related to the process of democratization.

The first subchapter present a brief introduction to the events that caused the fall of communism: the actions of Solidarity in Poland and the Romanian Revolution that took place in 1989. Then, I managed to gather information o the political institutions of the two countries, their presidents and constitutions and important events for this countries since the fall of communism, such as the European integration.

The third subchapter refers to the economic growth of the two countries. In this chapter, I underline the fact that a good administration leads to the growth of the economy. I give numbers and examples to support my arguments.

The last two subchapters are shorter then the others. I tried to synthetize the information as much as I could, altthough the subjects could heve been widely commented: corruption at a high level and the systems of education.

This paper ends with conclusions and the bibliography.

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