Kneel Romanians

Some time before January 20, 2024, Romanian journalist Marius Tucă publicly called on Romanians to write to the newly elected President of the United States and inform him about the situation in Bucharest. I do not know what effect his encouragement had—meaning, I do not know, at least among those close to me (apparently not)—anyone who actually put their hands on a keyboard and wrote to Donald Trump.

From the outset, I must clarify one thing: the very idea of writing to a foreign president—in this case, the American president—with a request to solve domestic problems is completely incompatible with basic principles. This is because foreign interference in the internal affairs of a state, including Romania, is not permitted.

Secondly, the letters that have surfaced in the public sphere, addressed to the President of the United States, must be analyzed. I will focus on two—I do not know if there were more, I have not come across any others, at least not relevant ones. But what is relevant is found in the messages I wish to discuss further.

I will first turn to Marius Tucă’s letter.

“ROMANIANS, WRITE TO DONALD TRUMP!”

“I write to you as a deeply concerned citizen of Romania, a proud member of NATO and the European Union, which has always looked upon the United States with great respect. For decades, the Romanian people have viewed the United States as a symbol of democracy, freedom, and justice—values that have inspired and guided our post-communist path. Today, however, I write to you at a time of deep uncertainty and concern regarding the democratic principles that unite our nations” Tucă wrote in his letter to Trump, elaborating on the situation in the country.

He speaks about the situation in Romania—specifically, the annulment of the first round of elections.

Although Tucă claims that his letter is not a request for interference in Romania’s internal affairs but rather an appeal for a principled stance from the leader of the free world in support of the values that unite us as allies and partners, the following lines seem to contradict that assertion:

“Mr. President, your victory and unwavering commitment to democracy have inspired millions around the world, including here in Romania. We ask you to join us at this critical moment in our nation’s history, reminding the world and our leaders that democracy must be upheld through transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I remain optimistic that with your support, Romania will continue to be a reliable ally and a model of democracy in Eastern Europe and the world. Yours, ….”

THE LEGACY OF THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR

Let’s take a closer look at the letter. What does Tucă say at the end? “Romania will continue to be a reliable ally and a model of democracy in Eastern Europe and the world.”

What does “reliable ally” mean? It can only mean one thing: that Romania will unconditionally follow every directive coming from Washington and, moreover, will allocate 5% of its GDP for defense, as the new U.S. president, Donald Trump, desires. Does Marius Tucă not know—or has he forgotten—when speaking of the rule of law, that one of the American ambassadors to Bucharest, Mark Gitenstein, helped establish the so-called rule of law in Romania, which took hold by clanking handcuffs, reminiscent of the Securitate before 1989? (Source)

An Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy to Trump: “Please Intervene in the Name of Freedom”. Eugen Mihăescu, a member of the Romanian Academy, is much more direct in his letter to Trump than Tucă. Perhaps this is also because Mihăescu holds dual Romanian and American citizenship.

IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

After telling Trump that in July 1989 he himself illustrated an article Trump published in The New York Times and informing him about the situation in Romania, Mihăescu concludes his letter in the following way:

“We ask you to intervene in the name of freedom, justice, and respect for human rights. All you need to do is advise Romanian institutions to respect the Romanian Constitution and thereby allow the second round of elections to proceed normally, as there is no evidence that the electoral process was flawed due to interference from a hostile foreign power.”

So what does Mihăescu want? For Trump to offer “recommendations.” I cannot help but wonder how many times Mihăescu has asked the Americans—not necessarily at this level, of course—to interfere in Romania’s internal affairs.

Instead of conclusions… just a deep sense of bitterness…