The anti-shale gas Socialist-Liberal Union won in Romanian parliamentary election. A contemporary referendum rejected a unconventional gas' ban approved by PM Victor Ponta and opposed by the moderate President Traian Basescu
A vote for a political change and a pro EU energy policy has been expressed on Sunday 12/9 in Romanian parliamentary election.
According to the AP news agency, the Socialist-Liberal Union obtained the 60% of votes whereas the moderate coalition has been voted by the 39% of Romanian voters.
The centre-left coalition won thanks to Romanian PM Victor Ponta's economy policies. One the one hand, the socialist leader blocked a pension's cut. On the other hand, Ponta increased VAT to the 24%, introducing in Romania the highest EU fiscal imposition.
At the same time, Romanian electorate punished austerity measures adopted by moderate governments, which had been supported by Romania's President Traian Basescu.
Despite of the consistent political victory, Ponta is going to face difficulties in starting governing because of the co-presence in the Socialist-Liberal Union of both the nationalists and the Hungarian minority's political force.
Moreover, President Basescu declared he's not going to appoint Ponta as the Romanian PM for the second time. After first Ponta's appointment by Basescu, the socialist leader endorsed reforms to decrease President's powers and increase the PM ones.
Despite of EU critics of authoritarian managing of the State, Ponta also unsuccessfully started a impeachment procedure towards Basescu, in order to put the President away from the power.
In addition to political issues, Ponta and Basescu are divided also in what concerns energy policy. The moderate President supports the EU energy policy in order to diversify EU gas supplies by the exploitation of Romanian natural gas fields and the direct delivering of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan's gas to Europe.
Basescu is also a supporter of shale gas exploitation in Romania, and conceived concession stakes to US concern Chevron and several Romanian companies in order to verify the presence of unconventional gas in Romania.
In the opposite, Ponta is in favor of the strengthening of energy relationship with Russian national gas major Gazprom, in order to increase gas supplies from Russia.
Moreover, Ponta supported the ecologist protest - which is often financed by Gazprom in order to block those energy policies which could decrease Russia's energy hegemony on the EU - and banned shale gas drilling operations in Romania.
Together with the parliamentary election, a referendum, which has been hold in several Romanian cities in order to ban shale gas drilling operations, did not obtain the quorum.
Despite the popular will supports shale gas exploitation, PM Ponta could extend the ban on unconventional gas drilling operations, and going on with the political war with President Basescu till a new Head of State's election.
Matteo Cazzulani
