Romanian MeToo scandal: what impact will it have?
A well-known sociologist at the National University School of Political Science and Public Administration (SNSPA) has been accused of sexual abuse by around twenty female students. The police have launched an investigation and the Ministry of Education has announced a more thorough approach to anonymous reports of abuse. The Romanian press discusses what the consequences of the scandal should be.
Influential networks
Deutsche Welle's Romanian website points out that many teachers at the SNSPA are members of a long-established network:
“Several teachers at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration have worked openly or behind the scenes for various political parties. ... These are the old-boy networks that have emerged in the last 30 years, after the old training academy for the Communist Party was transformed into the SNSPA. Perhaps that is also the reason why the university's management is not afraid of the local MeToo movement, which is bringing more and more facts to light that could be categorised as criminal by the judiciary.”
Hopefully more than just a passing scandal
Jurnalul National would like to see fundamental changes:
“The explosive reaction of Romanian society to the revelations in the press could be an expression of a deep desire for change. However, it is also possible that the reaction will remain superficial, without addressing the real problems. Be it the fact that fundamental reforms of the education system have failed to materialise, or that there is no real impetus for the moral renewal of the system. The outcome of this affair will be decisive in determining whether such crises become turning points or simply remain a passing scandal.”
Today's young women won't tolerate such behaviour
Teacher and journalist Costi Rogozanu writes in Libertatea about the young generation:
“At the secondary school where I teach I can already see that teenage girls are far more willing to identify and report the slightest inappropriate behaviour from a man. They are more confident, they know exactly when a man is acting inappropriately. Of course that won't make them invulnerable. But what is clear is that an individual who exhibits predatory sexual behaviour will have a much harder time with a generation educated to no longer tolerate erotic manipulation from someone in a position of power.”