Romania risks losing the chance of a climate of trust after its European Union accession because of the “damaging disputes” between President Traian Basescu and PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu, an group of Romanian intellectuals say in a public appeal published in the “Revista 22” magazine on Tuesday.

The group warns the instability of the governing coalition allows for an aggressive return of opposition parties to the limelight as these, while lacking the means to rebuild their image, are the only political forces to make benefits from the current crisis.

The group of intellectuals includes many names who are known for their support for President Basescu. Many of them are journalists.

They claim the ongoing political crisis in Romania is the result in “the fear of those who feel once again threatened by three important initiatives of the Romanian president”. These are his stated warr against corruption, his request to lift the secrecy surrounding ex-dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s political police and the condemnation of communism.

As a result, “what we see now is a rupture of a majority of the Romanian political class from the normal historical evolution and from the wishes and aspirations of a majority of the Romanian people”, the group says.