State, community, individual - Societal and Political Psychology ...

L’etat fort et la societe pervertie.
Une perspective psychosociologique
sur la crise economique en Roumanie
Radu Clit 1
Abstract: The economic crisis in Romania revealed a political crisis, with a split between
the government and the anti-Communist movement. The analysis of this situation shows
the persistence of a strong state, which seems to be in continuity with the Party / State of
the old regime, while the totalitarian framework no longer exists. The identity of this state
is linked to a tendency to function perversely, illustrated by the high rate of corruption.
For understanding how it works, the author proposes to analyze the institutional mechanisms
of the secret police in Pitesti phenomenon, which took place between 1949 and
1951. First, there is the cross plot, then the hierarchical vertical relationships and the
strict discipline, reinforced by the fact that superiors assign to their subordinates the responsibility
for compromising operations. The transformation of victims into perpetrators
held in Pitesti was possible through the attack of the traditional links. Thus, the egalitarian
relationships have been transformed into vertical relationships, with the same cult of
the Party / State’s leader. Eventually, this type of functioning was implemented in the rest
of the Romanian society. It is also possible to argue that the fi rst phase of communism, as
the fi rst step in the Pitesti phenomenon, is traumatic. It is the second phase that becomes
perverse. Releasing the totalitarian framework has reduced the control of the state, but
did not prevent the relative persistence of the perverse functioning. Actually, the strong
state, which inherits the Ceausescu’s palace, seems to keep the temptation of omnipotence.
The state does not play its role of guardian of the law and promotes the interests of the old
communist elites apparently converted to democracy. In fact, the state should be above
the political struggle between the ruling party and the opposition and take the third place.
Keywords: cross plot; link attacks; perverse alliance; omnipotence; strong state; totalitarian
framework
Title: The strong state and the perverted society. a psychosociological perspective on the
economic crisis in Romania
Plus de 20 ans après la chute du régime
communiste, en Roumanie, certains hommes
politiques invoquent une situation fi nancière
similaire à la Grèce 2 , pour un pays plus pauvre 3 .
L’impact de la crise économique serait très
fort, et déjà d’aucuns pointent comme cause
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