105
H av e We R e a l l y Lo s t i n R om a n i a ?
independent of each other. One thing leads to another, and this is how a critical mass of
discontent turned into a huge desire for changing the government.
It could be that the Democratic Convention really raised expectations beyond what any-
one else could have accomplished in a four-year term, but it could equally have been a lack
of expertise in government matters that actually widened the gap between the promises
and what was delivered. It could be that some bureaucrats remained faithful to the former
incumbents (the Social Democrats) and tried to block some political decisions because
they were frustrated with poor governance. Ultimately, one should not ignore the fact that
the right-of-center coalition made progress in some necessary but painful reforms that at
the end of the day resulted in healthy economic growth, starting in 2000 and continuing
in the following years under social democratic rule.
III. Falling Down from the Highest Peak
Newton’s gravity laws demonstrate that the higher the point from which an object falls,
the more serious the damage to that object when it hits the ground. Transposing this
into the realm of human expectations, one could say that the higher the expectations,
the greater the disappointment when expectations are not fulfilled. But of course human
beings try to master the laws of gravity so as to smooth the fall and avoid damage and
have therefore invented such devices as airplanes, parachutes, elastic cord for bungee
jumping, etc.
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Chart 1: Evolution of Voter Intentions for Right and Left Political Blocks 1996 – 2004
Source: Public Opinion Barometer, CURS 1996-2004
