Yesterday, autumn air made its way through the newsroom’s windows. Tired of the infernal heat of the last few weeks, we all were trying to enjoy the coolness of a new season. When you say “farewell,” you try to recap the most important moments, leaving them behind you.

This summer was full of events as never before. At the beginning of June, in spite of the torrid temperatures, the former government took hundreds of citizens to the streets, paid them a few lei to stand in front of and defend the state institutions. 

For people gathered in front of the state institutions at that time, those days were full of sorrow. Those people were name-called and labeled in different ways: fools, illiterate, bought off, and even “plahotniuchiști” [Plahotniuc’ supporters]. Nothing is true about these labels. Rather, they were poor people, confused, manipulated and used in the obscure interests of those who at that time considered themselves the leaders of this world.

I think of those people with great sadness. They were eagerly taking copies of Ziarul de Gardă, which we decided to distribute for free, in order to inform them better. Since they were wasting their time sitting on the asphalt, after all, we thought that a good newspaper would do them good.

Today, the press is analyzing the first 100 days of the ACUM Bloc – Socialist alliance governing. It is looking for shortcomings and flaws rather than for achievements or benefits. It is right to look at the actions of the government through a magnifying glass, but I do not want to refer to them in the following.

It is not the successes or the failures of the government that stir my curiosity at the end of the season, but rather the way those who had been lied to about the state institutions being in great danger and defended them, spent the summer. 

What were their lives like over the last 100 days? Have they eventually understood, after spending the little money given by the people of the Democratic Party, that their fight was meaningless? Have they understood that it is not worth it to go into the streets, sleep in tents without any facilities, and be away from their children, left home to the care of grandparents? 

Those who needed them as cannon fodder left without expressing, at least, a word of gratitude. They left after they brought order to their assets, properties and bank accounts. They withdrew compliantly to continue living their lives beautifully. They long forgot about the heroism of those on the hot asphalt, who, in June, were forced to defend their power and functions. 

Have those 50,000 people (according to the organizers) brought to protest in front of Parliament, understood that someone tried to use them in cold blood for obscure interests?

In November 2018, 100,000 people signed a petition at the suggestion of the Democratic Party leaders, requesting European checks on the connections of Minister of Internal Affairs Andrei Năstase and Prime Minister Maia Sandu to the billion theft. Have those 100,000 people understood that someone tried to use them in cold blood for obscure interests?

What is it like to be targeted in the Kroll Reports and not explain how and why you stole the billion, but request citizens to sign a document against your political opponents, and in such a way clean up your public image?

What would you say to the 334,539 citizens who voted for you on February 24, 2019, and to whom you promised high salaries and pensions, social equity, jobs? In the campaign, you promised firmly – “Deeds, not words!” However, in reality, the citizens who voted for this party saw neither deeds nor words, that is, no explanation for what is going on with the Democratic Party and its leaders after the elections.

I wonder, what have the Democratic Party voters and supporters have understood this summer? What should all voters understand when called upon by parties to defend their functions and power?

Aneta Grosu, aneta@zdg.md