All we have done is to ask MEPs Gigi Becali and Corneliu Vadim Tudor to comment on a new legislative proposal introducing mandatory psychiatric and psychological examination to everyone who seeks a career in public service. What we got was, well, very straightforward and pretty blunt:
Mr. Becali: Blow me!
Mr. Vadim Tudor: „Fuck you, you bum!”
The story goes like this. Five Romanian Senators had the idea to write a new piece of legislation requiring everybody who seeks a job in a high office – whether elected or not – going from senior officers to the president elect, to undergo a thorough medical examination as a precondition of actually getting the job.
It’s not like the idea is a new one. The issue of requiring a thorough psychiatric and psychological exam of our elected officials has been brought into public discussion a few times before, obviously with no effect and the fate of the new proposal is still uncertain.
The Government of Romania itself deemed the proposal noteworthy (if only to reject it on Constitutional and personal freedoms basis) but we thought it enough reason to ask for some different (and quite official, naturally) points of view. And a few days ago, this is exactly what we did.
We’ve tried to ask for comments from two Romanian MEPs, Messrs Corneliu Vadim Tudor and George (Gigi) Becali. Judging by the measure of a civilized society, of European political practice and standards and most important by the simple measure of legitimate public interest the answers we got were, simply put it, shocking.
Mr. Tudor doesn’t even wait to hear the question I want to ask and he bursts violently in the very moment I merely introduce myself. The reason is a column critical on him that I wrote recently. In the end, he slams the phone and my repeated attempts to reach him remain unsuccessful.
His MEP colleague, Mr. Becali, on the other hand, listens patiently the reporter’s question and that’s pretty much all what he does al least for the moment. But then follows what amounts to the filthiest verbiage one can imagine may be brought into a conversation. And we have the record to prove it.
Biographies
Corneliu Vadim Tudor, 61
He used to be a writer privileged by the Ceausescu regime. In return for these privileges, he praised usually in form of hymns the dictatorial couple Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu and the Romanian Communist Party. He founded in 1990 the extremist Greater Romania Party (PRM) and he became notorious with his outbursts of anti-Semitic and xenophobic diatribes. He offended the Hungarians, Roma and Jewish minorities many times over. In 2000, Mr. Tudor became very close of actually winning the presidential elections only to lose in the second round against Mr. Ion Iliescu. Together with Mr. Becali, Mr. Tudor is ranked as one of least active MEPs. He is currently under investigation by the prosecutor office for assault.
George (Gigi) Becali, 52
He is the official „financier” of Steaua Football Club with a fortune estimated at a few hundred million dollars and he aims very high: he wants to become the President of Romania, no more, no less. Despite his ambitious goals, his party he actually pretty much bought, (The New Generation Party – PNG) didn’t get enough votes to cross the 5 per cent electoral threshold and, consequently, Mr. Becali missed the opportunity to become an MP. However, he managed to get elected as MEP one year later, on the extremist Greater Romania Party (PRM) list together with the leader of PRM, none other than Mr. Tudor. He is well known for the abusive language he uses against journalists and foes both in politics and football.
In 2010 he was arrested under the accusation of kidnapping. Over the time, his name was linked way too often with deals deemed at least controversial.
With Andreea Pocotilă and Cristian Câmpeanu contributing
