Wall Street Journal: for Romania, recession is tough but Communism is worse / Basescu's victory is remarkable as it overcame the worse economic crisis in Europe

Romanians elected incumbent president Basescu for a new mandate as President even though the results were close. His left countercandidate, Mircea Geoana yells fraud and the results of the elections might be examined by the Constitutional Court, the American daily the Wall Street Journal reads in an analysis on Romania after Presidential elections. The paper reads that economic liberalism gained over the Communist legacy.

Basescu’s win is remarkable, as it came after a deep recession in Europe, journalists read. Romania’s economy shrank by 7% this year, after a 7.1% increase in 2008. Geoana tried to capitalize the difficulties shaking the country in a campaign promoting a progressive fiscal code.

Basescu announced budget cuts and a tough fight against corruption. As mayor of the capital city, he refused to give in to animal rights activists and endorsed the rights of the humans over stray dogs.

Basescu’s governance was far from perfect but it seems that for most Romanians, the shadows of Communism and a leftist government is still feared.