Romanian Corruption and American Interests

The U.S. Ambassador in Bucharest, Mark Gitenstein, is a man of opinions and the type who makes the most out of free speech. On more than one occasion he has spoken about Romania’s politics and economics, about the progress of reforms and about the decisions made by the Romanian Constitutional Court regarding the revision of the Romanian Fundamental Law. However, according to the interview taken by Adevărul and published on July 4 — America’s Independence Day — Mark Gitenstein made some overwhelming remarks, topping everything else he has said about Romania. He says that there were many cases when American investors came to him with complaints about the fact that they were asked for bribes from the Romanian officials with whom they came in contact. Not only that, but according to Gitenstein, American companies feel like they’re losing auctions to companies suspected of giving bribes. Under these conditions, let’s not be surprised that American investments are not pouring into Romania, despite the fact that we are strategic partners on the axis.

The message sent by the U.S. Ambassador is extremely clear: The real fight against corruption, which has become the anthem of government administrations and was the electoral standard bearer of the present administration in Bucharest, is not producing the expected effects. Also, so there are no doubts whatsoever, Gitenstein says that the corruption phenomenon is the main problem affecting bilateral relations between Romania and the United States.

Are the Americans making too big of a deal out of a simple matter, such as the giving and taking of bribes in Romania, just for morality’s sake? Maybe, but what matters most are the United States’ interests. Corruption is directly affecting those interests. Nothing is for free, not even among strategic brothers. Without being populated solely by Little Red Riding Hoods, the Western world thinks bribery is a crime. Corruption affects the economy and distorts the free market. If a competitive company is taken out of the market by corrupt means, the entire system takes the blow; ultimately, the population, who have to pay for expensive goods or services of worse quality just because an official got rich by taking a bribe, feels the worst effects. This is the reason why both American and British laws, for example, punish bribery even outside their territories. If it’s proven that a businessperson in the United States or Great Britain is corrupting an official, they will be convicted by the law in their own country.

Then what is happening in Romania? Normally, whether they’re part of the local administration or the central one, state employees with less than decent salaries own houses and limousines, and their bank accounts get fatter and fatter by the day. At the same time, the highways are 10 times more expensive per kilometer than for the rest of Europe, public services are down and the government is buried in debt. Isn’t this the corruption of the system? Well, OK, Năstase and Tăriceanu were corrupt. But now?

President Băsescu was not present at Ambassador Gitenstein’s residence for the celebration of America’s Independence Day.