on Iliesu is no stranger to Iasi; he was the Communist Party county secretary for Iasi during the 1970s. This was not a permanent assignment; Ceausescu frequently rotated county bosses to keep them from building up any sort of power base which they could use to challenge him. By 1984 Iliescu was out of Iasi and had fallen out of favor with Ceausescu, although the two had been close colleagues before then. It was Iliescu's 'downfallen' status which enabled him to claim himself as an opposition figure in 1989.

he President may have expected a warm reception in Iasi due to his previous ties with the town. If he was, he was probably disappointed by the actual reception. The 'Monitorul' ran this headline on the day of the visit: "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR IASI, MR. PRESIDENT?"

t summarized in the related story the economic neglect which Iasi, and indeed the whole of Moldavia, has experienced under Iliescu's rule. A proposal a few years ago to make Iasi an Economic Free Trade Zone, similar to Constanta, Giurgiu, and Braila. The proposal died on the vine for lack of government (meaning presidential) support.

ll of the government's infrastructure modernization efforts have literally bypassed Iasi and Moldavia, in favor of the Constanta-Bucharest -Brasov-Cluj-Oradea axis. Few new businesses have been started in Iasi to replace the many which are suffering as the economic transformation proceeds and the older, less efficient industries trim their payrolls. The number of unemployed in Iasi is relatively high, and a large number of people rely on welfare ('ajutor social') or unemployment ('ajutor de somaj') assistance payments. When the city treasury ran out at the end of December, it affected these people too, and lines of 1,000 or more were seen on several occasions outside City Hall, waiting for their monthly 'assistance' ('ajutor') packets.

he lack of government investment in Moldavia has led to a similar lack of foreign private investment in the region. Of course, Bucharest is booming. Iasi's airport badly needs to be modernized and made into an international facility, but the government is delaying the funds for this too. The growing disparity between Moldavia and the more prosperous areas is creating a 'Mezzogiorno' syndrome with all the attendant social consequences.

o. For the presidential visit, snow was cleaned off the rail tracks and new flags and bulbs installed at the Nicolina station; salt was spread on the streets along the route of the presidential motorcade; ice was removed from the sidewalk on which the President would walk; Piata Unirii was cleared of snow, and the statue of Cuza there was washed clean of its pigeon 'contributions.' The rest of the city went on as normal--snowy streets, icy sidewalks, etc.

he day after the visit, the 'Monitorul' reflected on "the most guarded visit in the history of the Romanian Presidency," meaning there were more police and, uh, 'security' than during even Ceausescu's visits to Iasi. For your reference, I was not present at any of the President's events in Iasi--I'm supposed to avoid events like this, crowds and all. I got the details of the visit through the local TV and newspaper reports.

he events were carefully planned: a visit to the 'Moldova Tricotaje' textile factory, a Te Deum memorial to Cuza at the Church of the Three Hierarchs; a short walk from the church to Piata Unirii; laying a wreath at Cuza's statue; dancing a short 'hora' (a circle dance); a meeting with historians in the Hall of Princes at the Palace of Culture; a visit to the Youth Information Center at the Hotel 'Orizont'; a talk with the (PDSR?) youth of Iasi at the 'Luceafarul' Theater; lunch at the Metropolitan Palace with I.P.S. Daniel (the Metropolit of Moldavia and Bucovina); and a reception at Iasi City Hall.

evertheless some dissenters managed to make themselves known. Between Three Hierarchs and Piata Unirii an elderly woman shouted "Iliescu--Saracila!" ('Iliescu, Impoverisher!'). At Piata Unirii, a giant portrait of King Mihai hung from one of the nearby apartment blocs, overlooking the wreath-laying ceremony. During that ceremony someone held up a sign saying "Mincinosii" ('Liars'), referring not only to the President but to the officials accompanying him, including Ion Solcanu, who is a native of Iasi and the Vice President of the PDSR. Between 'Orizont' and 'Luceafarul,' the President got involved in a discussion with a middle-aged man, who got his attention from a distance by stating "Sir, you are the spokesman of lies, of disaster and poverty!"

o his credit, Iliescu did not ignore the dissenters, choosing to hear them out and allay their concerns. It is unlikely, though, that Iasi's concerns will diminish before the elections in September. Iasi is on the geographic and economic margin of Romania, and the future does not hold any special promise of change at the moment. The President is known (and caricatured by Romanian cartoonists) for his ever-present smile, but he may have been smiling somewhat less than usual during his day in a city which has little to thank him for but much to blame him for.