The message of the President of the Romanian Academy
At this time of global health crisis, it is order and the rule of law and not 'poetry' that should dominate public life, says the President of the Romanian Academy.
România Internațional, 19.03.2020, 13:50
In difficult times we all wait for encouragement messages from the wisest and most experienced people of the country. Here is what the President of the Romanian Academy, Ioan-Aurel Pop has written on his Facebook page: “This plague came upon us and we do not know what to do. Some of us lament and think about the end of the world and the predictions made by Nostradamus. Others pretend to be brave and solemnly say they fear nothing, when in fact they do. Most of us keep silent, look around and cannot believe its true. “
The few remedies for our pessimism, Ioan-Aurel Pop says, are mere palliatives: we laugh, though not whole-heartedly, to the jokes and videos we receive on social networks, we find consolation in the thought that this is not the first catastrophe the world has been through, and that mankind survived every time. We tell ourselves that every bad situation has something positive — in this case, fresher air in the big cities.
“Weakened by a busy life, exhausted by the daily duties, dismissed from unrewarding jobs, sometimes humiliated for the money earned with hard work, scared by the thought of dying among strangers, the Romanians in the Diaspora are coming back home, “ the President of the Romanian Academy writes.
In his opinion, this is not a time for lamentation, but for understanding the fact that we win in terms of communication, dialogue and kindness. It is equally important for public life to be dominated by order and the rule of law. Politicians must speak for everybody to understand, show they share peoples fears and hopes. They must act like leaders and take the appropriate measures. Its a serious problem if they cannot or dont know how to do it, because people need the right leaders to guide them.
“After this difficult period we might organise our personal and social life differently, we might choose to be kinder and more just, we might share the best in us with the world and the country, “ Ioan-Aurel Pop has concluded. (Translated by Elena Enache)
