The government is doing all it can to make sure the electorate participates in an exercise to re-define the country.

Mario Canseco

In the last weeks of 1989, television sets around the world were bombarded with images of packed Romanian town squares. Thousands of citizens waved flags with a big hole in the place usually occupied by the communist coat of arms.

Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu—unlike other contemporary Soviet-backed rulers—was not quick to realize that the country was regenerating, and ordered security forces to open fire on demonstrators in Timisoara, killing an estimated 4,000 people. The mood of Romanians changed quickly, and as more people joined the call for openness, the army decided to support the protesters. Just days later, the head of state was detained, tried and executed.

Less than two years after Ceausescu's demise, a new constitution was adopted to protect democratic structures and establish a multi-party system. This weekend, Romanians will head to the voting booth to decide whether to embrace a new document, aimed at making the Balkan nation more pleasing to the European Union (EU).

The new law would enable Romanian citizens to be elected to the European Parliament, a key issue for a country that aspires to become a full EU member in 2007. A positive result would also mean the adoption of the Euro as the national currency.

Prime minister Adrian Nastase of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) is counting on a positive vote to turn the country around. A broad propaganda effort to promote the plebiscite included phone messages and videos, under the slogan "Yes to Europe." The government is so eager to get the required 50 per cent turnout that voting has been extended to two days instead of one.

Still, the electorate appears to be concerned with other pressing matters. Romania remains plagued by corruption and poverty, with an average monthly salary of just over $100 U.S. a month. The current constitution remains a mystery to many citizens, and a vote on whether to make it EU-friendly seems far-fetched.

The opposition Party of Great Romania (PRM) has asked its members and supporters to abstain. The political organization garnered 19.5 per cent of the vote in the 2000 parliamentary elections. The impending absence of almost 2 million PRM backers might be significant enough make the referendum irrelevant.

Turnout may also be affected by migration. Estimates suggest that as many as 20 per cent of all Northern Romania residents have left to look for better conditions in other European countries. The current list of voters has not been modified to reflect these changes.

While the EU may seem attractive to Romanians, the findings of a recent poll by Gallup show a mostly dissatisfied populace, which bafflingly seems to find an iron-fisted ruler appealing. 84 per cent of respondents said the country would benefit from a totalitarian regime.

Romania's bi-cameral Parliament currently has representatives from 36 different factions and organizations. Political infighting may be taking a toll on an electorate that desperately needs action. 54 per cent of respondents to the Gallup survey said a single-party system would be positive.

The European Commission will release a statement on Nov. 5, to assess the preparedness of all prospective EU members. A victory for the pro-EU camp would take Romania one step closer to membership. If Nastase's government does not get the desired turnout or result, they could try again at a later date.

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