Racing backwards

Last months’ strikes of German, Italian, Greek and Hungarian transporters encouraged local road transport associations to prepare for protests. Requests announced in January are but unrealistic: public subsidies for infrastructure access fees and state regulations on minimum transport tariffs would mean a backwards move.

To guarantee minimum tariffs would be a departure from market oriented economy towards past communist practices, while subsidizing road tolls has little chances to be accepted by the European competitors on a free common market.

The Government might concede to these unrealistic requests, especially in the context of the votes hunger for the coming general elections, but at a high price: a new European scandal involving Romania. A successful strike would be a short-lived victory since one can’t race against the stream too long.