In his last speech, the chief of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) gave a clue about how politics are conducted in Romania, acknowledging that politicians look to others to make judgments or make suggestions.
The chairman of the SRI, Eduard Hellvig, made a few remarks at the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-15th Napoca’s anniversary of the Security and Intelligence Studies that caught the attention of the media and public in Romania.
Eduard Hellvig claimed that the separation from politics, which he believes is completely normal in a democratic society, was the most important benefit of his tenure as the chairman of the SRI. He contends that there should be no connection between politics and intelligence collecting since too many politicians in the last decades have grown accustomed to getting cues or advice on what to do.
Too many politicians, in previous decades, have become accustomed to receiving “directions” or “suggestions” about what to do. (…) Too many want others to make decisions for them, too many even expect to receive suggestions from secret services.
Eduard Hellvig, director of Romanian Intelligence Service
Although he did so in an overly courteous manner, the SRI leader highlighted a severe issue in Romanian political society. Politicians in Romania frequently show themselves unable to handle the responsibilities that come with their positions of authority. People in positions of authority in Romania still wait for orders rather than exercising independent judgment.
However, given that the chief of the Romanian Intelligence Service is dissatisfied with the current circumstances, we must consider how frequently the secret service meddled in Romanian politics. Most importantly, has the SRI’s current leader been able to distinguish between political and intelligence collection activities?
No doubt that political parties in Romania pay the press to enhance their reputations. Romanians need to consider who truly makes decisions in this situation rather than the people elected and why these people are in positions of authority.
