Elena Lasconi – „La Câmpulung Muscel am sim]it c

ElenaLasconi Interviu Interview

„La Câmpulung Muscel am sim]it c\ am inima!”

Cum e s\ lucrezi la stat?

M\ a[teptam s\ fie diferit, dar pentru cineva care este de bun\ credin]\ [i vrea s\ fac\ lucrurile s\ func]ioneze, pentru cineva care vine din privat, e ca un bilet doar dus, în alt\ ]ar\! Nu î]i vine s\ lup]i, î]i vine doar s\ pleci [i s\ emigrezi. A[a func]ioneaz\ tot sistemul.

Care a fost cel mai bun lucru pe care l-a]i g\sit în prim\rie?

Cel mai bun lucru?

Am g\sit o mân\ de oameni, pu]ini, care sunt dedica]i, c\rora le place administra]ia [i care muncesc de „c\piaz\”, f\r\ s\ se uite la ceas. Doar pe partea uman\ am g\sit lucruri pozitive. În rest, lucrurile sunt total nefunc]ionale [i merg foarte, foarte greu.

De ce a]i ales Cåmpulung Muscel?

Pentru c\ Câmpulung Muscel este ora[ul pe care-l iubesc [i în care vreau s\ tr\iesc pân\ la sfâr[itul zilelor mele. L-am ales, pur [i simplu, dar cred c\ nimic nu e întâmpl\tor. Nu am rude aici, nici prieteni, sau, mai exact, nu am avut prieteni. M-a contactat o agen]ie imobiliar\ pentru c\ auzisem de la o fost\ coleg\ din televiziune c\ a cump\rat, împreun\ cu al]i prieteni, o cas\ la Câmpulung [i c\ din curtea lor se vede „P\pu[a” (Vârful P\pu[a din masivul Iezer-P\pu[a, Mun]ii F\g\ra[) [i am zis – hai s\ v\d [i eu locul... Eu sunt o fat\ de munte, crescut\ la munte, dar în jurul Bucure[tiului, unde am locuit atâ]ia ani, este doar câmpie.

Pân\ la acea dat\ nici nu fusesem la Câmpulung [i m-am hot\rât s\ merg s\ v\d [i eu cum e. {i, din momentul în care am pus piciorul în Câmpulung, am sim]it o energie aparte. P\mântul acesta de aici are o energie aparte, este ceva special la Câmpulung… Aici am sim]it c\ am inima! De aceea am ales s\ vin aici!

Ce a]i putut schimba de cånd sunte]i primar?

Foarte multe. În primul rând, am schimbat viziunea. Acum lucrurile se fac cu [taif, cu clas\… Nu mai trebuie s\ fie provinciale, nu mai trebuie s\ fie de mântuial\, iar oamenii au început s\ în]eleag\. V\ dau cåteva exemple concrete: anul trecut am v\zut c\ au adus un brad de Cr\ciun pe care urma s\-l împodobim [i pe care-l rupseser\… Am zis, gata, îl t\ia]i [i îl face]i lemn de foc, nu m\ intereseaz\ ce face]i cu el, moment în care toat\ lumea a „paralizat”. Dup\ ce lucraser\ o gr\mad\ de timp ca s\-l ridice [i s\-l pun\ în pozi]ie, a trebuit s\-l arunce. Le-am spus s\ nu-l împodobeasc\ pân\ nu arat\ perfect! Alt\ dat\, trebuiau date jos ni[te candelabre vechi de 100 de ani, din cl\direa prim\riei, care este o cl\dire istoric\ superb\, construit\ de ilustrul arhitect interbelic Dimitrie Ionescu-Berechet. Candelabrele au fost, probabil, negre, la via]a lor, [i acum erau pline de praf, trebuiau recondi]ionate. Am zis – hai s\ facem curat, s\ igieniz\m înc\perea, pentru c\ urma s\ fac acolo „o insul\” de rela]ii cu publicul. Am zis, da]i-le jos, sp\la]i-le cu jet de ap\, usca]i-le bine, iar apoi vopsi]i-le electrostatic. Dup\ terminarea opera]iunii de zugr\vit, erau montate vreo patru candelabre din cele nou\ sau zece, câte erau pe tot nivelul parterului [i le-am spus – v\ rog frumos aprinde]i-mi [i mie becurile. {i, cånd s-au aprins, am observat, a[a, la ochi, c\ negrul nu e negru, [i i-am întrebat: a]i vopsit candelabrele? {i mi-au r\spuns – p\i nu, c\ leam sp\lat. Am r\spuns [i eu: A, da? Le da]i pe toate jos [i le vopsi]i electrostatic, a[a cum am spus! Cu atitudini de acest gen m-am luptat la început. Sau, alt\ dat\, o persoan\ foarte popular\, o persoan\ supercunoscut\ în Câmpulung pentru c\ are una dintre cele mai tari firme de construc]ii, milionar… în fine, l-am scos afar\ din prim\rie pentru c\ nu a fixat cum trebuie un perete. Am explicat c\ nu fac compromisuri la calitate. Suntem prea s\raci pentru a ne permite încropeli [i cârpeli!

Cam asta s-a schimbat! Care a fost cea mai dur\ decizie pe care a]i luat-o?

Vai! Am luat atât de multe decizii… Una, total nepopular\, pentru care nu am nicio nelini[te c\ nu se va întåmpla, este un lucru pe care nu l-a putut face niciun primar pân\ acum: am dispus demolarea tuturor garajelor, [i nu sunt pu]ine. Peste 1000. A fost o m\sur\ total nepopular\.

O alt\ decizie dureroas\ am luat-o la Zilele Ora[ului Câmpulung. Preconizam s\ facem un concert foarte fain, care s\ dureze trei zile, cu arti[ti de renume, dar, înainte cu trei zile de eveniment, am anulat licita]ia. A fost o decizie greu de luat, pentru care am luat tone de „hate”! Dar licita]ia nu era corect\, iar eu nu eram dispus\ s\ fac compromisuri.

Crede]i c\ sunt lucruri pe care nu le ve]i putea schimba în mentalitatea oamenilor?

Eu nu doresc s\ schimb lucruri! Nu doresc s\ schimb oameni! Aceasta este o utopie! Este o ]\c\neal\ s\ crezi c\ îi po]i schimba pe oameni! Oamenii nu se schimb\ niciodat\!

Oricum, lucrurile se schimb\ foarte greu, în general. Dar dac\ cei din jurul t\u v\d un model, pentru c\ ei nu au avut un model pân\ acum, dac\ v\d ce înseamn\ s\ lucrezi în echip\, oamenii vor urma modelul. Nu se poate s\ nu-]i dore[ti s\ se întåmple lucruri bune pentru c\, pân\ la urm\, eu propun oamenilor s\ facem împreun\ lucruri faine, s\ salv\m un ora[! Facem frumos un ora[, împreun\.

Eu nu mi-am propus s\-i schimb pe oameni, pentru c\ mi-a[ consuma energia inutil, iar a doua zi ar trebui s\ m\ internez în spital. Nu! Oamenii trebuie lua]i a[a cum sunt ei, trebuie g\sit\ cea mai bun\ variant\ a lor. Fiecare om are ceva bun în el, [i cu acea parte care îl individualizeaz\ trebuie lucrat. Din p\cate, nu am avut suficient timp pentru a-i descoperi pe fiecare în parte. Problemele sunt diverse [i foarte multe. Am reu[it s\ îi cunosc doar a[a,

din interac]iunile directe pe care le-am avut cu ei. Dar sunt oameni buni!

Unii poate c\ [i-au gre[it cariera, dar pot s\ înfloreasc\ dac\ scot la lumin\ ce au mai bun în ei, s\ se simt\ bine, s\ se bucure când se apropie de cl\direa prim\riei. Cånd eram la PRO TV [i m\ apropiam de cl\direa aceea [i vedeam c\ arat\ ca un mall, pân\ la urm\, pentru c\ era f\cut\ din panouri sandwich, sim]eam „flutura[i” în stomac. M\ sim]eam mândr\ c\ merg la serviciu. A[a vreau s\ se simt\ orice om care vine la prim\rie… {i se poate! Pentru c\, altfel, dac\ nu vii cu pl\cere la serviciu, pân\ la sfâr[itul zilelor te m\nânc\ depresia.

Romanian Best Locations promoveaz\ cele mai bune locuri din ]ar\. The Robelos este revista care „vâneaz\” aceste locuri. Din acest punct de vedere, ce poten]ial turistic are ora[ul?

Poten]ialul turistic este uria[! Din p\cate, mul]i nu îl v\d. Eu [tiu c\, pân\ la sfâr[itul mandatului meu, vom ajunge cu ora[ul la statutul de sta]iune turistic\ de interes na]ional. Este cel mai bine conservat ora[ din }ara Romåneasc\ [i cred c\ [i din România, în ceea ce prive[te starea cl\dirilor de patrimoniu. Dar acest lucru se întâmpl\ pentru c\ ne-a ajutat bunul Dumnezeu. Din p\cate, industria câmpulungean\, în frunte cu perla ei, ARO, a întrat în faliment, iar oa-

“I found my heart in Câmpulung Muscel!”

How is it to work for the state?

I was expecting it to be different, but for someone who is of good faith and who wants to make things work, for someone who comes from the private sector, this is like a one-way ticket to another country! You don’t feel like fighting, you just want to leave! This is how the whole system is structured.

What is the best thing you found at the town hall?

I found a handful of people, a few people who are dedicated and who love working in public administration – people who work till they drop, without watching the clock. As far as good things go, this is the only good thing I found: the human resource. Otherwise, things are completely non-functional and progress is very, very hard.

Why did you choose Câmpulung Muscel?

Because Câmpulung Muscel is the town I love and in which I want to live for the rest of my life. This is my choice. It just happened, but I think everything happens for a reason. I have no relatives or friends here – more precisely, I had no friends here. I was contacted by a real estate agency, because I’d heard from a former colleague of mine from television that she’d bought, together with some other friends, a house in Câmpulung and that they could see P\pu[a Peak (part of the IezerP\pu[a massif, in the F\g\ra[ Mountains) and I said – let me check this place out! I am a mountain girl, raised in the mountainside –but near Bucharest, where I lived for so many years, there are only lowlands.

Until that moment, I had never been to Câmpulung, so I decided to go there and see for myself. The moment I stepped in Câmpulung, I felt a special energy. The soil here’s got a certain energy… There is something special here in Câmpulung. I found my heart here! This is why I chose to come here!

What have you been able to change since you became mayor?

A lot. First of all, I transformed the mindset. Things are done with class now. We’re getting rid of the provincial way of doing things… A sloppy job won’t cut it anymore! And people have begun to understand this. I’ll give you a few examples: last year, I noticed that they’d broken the Christmas tree that we were supposed to decorate. And I told them: That’s it! Make firewood out of it! I don’t care what you do with it! At that moment, everyone froze. After they’d spent so much time

menii nu au mai avut bani. Cei care aveau în custodie cl\dirile [i-au b\tut joc de ele. Sunt ni[te cl\diri senza]ionale. Avem de spus o gr\mad\ de pove[ti adev\rate – nu a[a cum sunt våndute cele din str\in\tate, unde turismul este în floare. Exist\ crucile votive din piatr\, vechi de sute de ani, monumente istorice administrate de Arhiepiscopia Arge[ului [i Muscelului, care sunt specifice zonei, exist\ ni[te m\n\stiri senza]ionale – M\n\stirea ortodox\ de c\lug\ri Negru Vod\, ctitorit\, în anul 1215, de c\tre Radu Negru Voievod, iar pe o raz\ de 20 de kilometri se afl\ m\n\stirile care alc\tuiesc „Triunghiul M\n\stirilor Rupestre” (Cet\]eni, N\m\ie[ti [i Corbii de Piatr\), exist\ Colegiul Na]ional Pedagogic „Carol I”, o institu]ie de înv\]\mânt secundar, continuatoare a {colii Normale „Carol I” din Bucure[ti, construit\ de Rege [i care este senza]ional\… De asemenea, la Câmpulung Muscel s-au f\cut filme celebre – filmul Titanic vals, în anul 1964, dup\ piesa de teatru omonim\, scris\ de Tudor Mu[atescu, cu Grigore Vasiliu Birlic în rolul lui Spirache Nec[ulescu, filmul Ultima noapte de dragoste, un film românovest-german, inspirat din romanul scriitorului Camil Petrescu, Ultima noapte de dragoste, întâia noapte de r\zboi… Apoi, pove[tile… povestea bulevardului Pardon… {ti]i povestea cu bucure[tenii care veneau în vilegiatur\ la Câmpulung [i era atât de mult\ lume pe bulevard încât se atingeau cu coatele [i î[i spuneau pardon, pardon, pardon? A[a [i-a primit numele bulevardul – Pardon.

Apoi, istoria Gr\dinii Merci, o poveste extraordinar\… Cåmpulung Muscel este unul din pu]inele ora[e din România în care, dac\ ai aterizat în centru, po]i intra direct în Gr\dina Public\ [i, de acolo, traversând o strad\, po]i intra în alt parc [i în urm\torul… [i tot a[a. Este un ora[ al parcurilor [i gr\dinilor! Trebuie s\ punem în valoare toate aceste lucruri pe care ni le-a dat Dumnezeu [i îmi doresc s\ avem [i servicii de calitate, [i m\ refer la HoReCa, la industria hotelier\. S\ ajungem s\ avem la Câmpulung înv\]\mânt dual, pe modelul [colii hoteliere din Lausanne. De asemenea, noi, câmpulungenii, avem ceva unic, dar din p\cate nu se afl\ în proprietatea prim\riei noastre, decât o mic\ parte – Hotelul Regal, care este „un Negresco”, ca cel din Nisa, dar în variant\ mai mic\. Câmpulung a fost ora[ul preferat al regelui Carol I. Regele a vrut s\ construiasc\ Pele[ul la Câmpulung, dar s-a lovit de înc\p\]ånarea oamenilor, care nu au vrut s\ devin\ „slugi”, s\ fie slugi la rege.

Regina Maria a purtat cu foarte mult\ mândrie costumul popular muscelean, care este unic între costumele populare române[ti. Costumul de mireas\ muscelean poate fi oricând vedet\ pe catwalk-urile din New York sau Milano. Ca s\ nu mai vorbesc de ce mânc\ruri minunate avem aici. Exist\ iar\[i ceva ce nu se face în alt\ parte, covrigul cu ou… Dar nu putem s\ market\m acum ora[ul, foarte tare, pentru c\ acum este în [antier. De 30 de ani nu s-a f\cut nimic, iar acum, dac\ am aduce turi[ti, ne-am face mai mult r\u decât bine. În momentul de fa]\, Câmpulung Muscel este un ora[ care se tranziteaz\. Focusul meu este ca în câ]iva ani ora[ul s\ devin\ o destina]ie de weekend [i, în perspectiv\, peste cinci-[ase ani, s\ devin\ o destina]ie unde turi[tii s\ vin\ s\ stea o s\pt\mân\. Sunt multe lucruri care se pot face. Putem s\ ni[\m anumite sectoare de turism, s\ încuraj\m pe cei care vor s\ deschid\ SPA-uri sau clinici pentru opera]ii estetice, unde s\ vii la munte pentru recuperare… Mountain biking-ul e, iar\[i, o activitate care sar putea pune în practic\… Sunt multe lucruri legate de turism pe care le-am putea face… Ca s\ nu mai spun c\ avem ni[te fete foarte frumoase!

Din culisele prim\riei, a]i spus vreodat\ – nu mai pot?

Daaaaa! De multe ori am sim]it c\ îmi „pocne[te” capul! Totul este greoi, totul este împietrit… Diminea]a, când m\ trezesc – stau pe un deal, mai la periferie, [i v\d ora[ul – v\d „P\pu[a” [i m\ încarc foarte tare cu energie. Ora[ul merit\ ajutat, ]ara merit\ ajutat\… Nu ne mai permitem s\ plece romånii din ]ar\! Trebuie s\ facem ceva! Dac\ fiecare st\ în bula lui, lucrurile nu se vor schimba niciodat\! Eu asta fac. Cu asta m\ ocup zilnic. Caut porti]e prin care s\ m\ strecor prin acest sistem putred [i încerc s\ fac ca lucrurile s\ se mi[te. Lupta cu sistemul îmi m\nânc\ foarte mult\ energie.

Ca s\ completez întrebarea anterioar\, ce crede]i c\ ne lipse[te nou\, românilor, pentru a face ca lucrurile s\ mearg\?

S\ fim uni]i, în primul rånd. Am fost eduputting it up, they had to throw it away. I told them not to decorate it until it looked perfect. Another time, some hundred years old chandeliers in the town hall building – a superb historic building, built by the illustrious architect Dimitrie Ionescu-Berchet – had to be taken down. They had probably been black, originally, and now they were covered in dust, so they needed to be refurbished. I said – let’s clean up the place, let’s sanitize the room – because I was going to make it an “island” for public relations. I told them to take down the chandeliers, pressure wash them, dry them up well and then paint them electrostatically. After getting the room repainted, they installed about four of the nine or ten chandeliers, and I told them – Please turn on the lights. When the lights turned on, I noticed that the black wasn’t quite black, so I asked them – have you painted the chandeliers? Turns out they’d merely washed them. So I told them to take them all down and paint them, as I had asked from the beginning. I had to resist such attitudes in the beginning. Another time, I was forced to put an end to the municipality’s collaboration with a very popular person, very well known in Câmpulung – they have one of the biggest construction companies, they’re millionaires… But they hadn’t set up a wall properly. So I explained to them that I can’t compromise on quality. We are too poor to afford such “inventions”. So that’s what’s changed!

What has been your most brutal decision so far?

Oh, my! I took many decisions… One decision, which no mayor before has ever made – it is absolutely unpopular, but I have no doubts that it will be done – is to demolish all of the garages, and we have lots of those – more than 1000. That was a very unpopular measure. Another painful decision was made in the context of the Câmpulung Days. We were supposed to have a nice concert, lasting for three days, with renowned artists. However, I cancelled the public auction three days before the event. It was a hard decision for which I have received a lot of hate. But the auction wasn’t fair, and I wasn’t going to compromise.

Do you think there are some elements of people’s mindset which you will never be able to change?

I don’t want to change those things! I

don’t want to change people. This is utopic. It is stupid to think you can change people. People never change! Anyway, it is very hard to change things, in general. But if the people around you, who have never had models before, see a model in yourself, if they see what it means to work as part of a team, they will follow your lead. It is impossible not to desire for good things because, after all, my proposal to the people is to do great things together, to save a town! We’re building a beautiful town, together.

I didn’t set out to change people, because this would be a waste of energy, and I would be taken to the hospital the next day – due to fatigue. No! You need to take people as they are, you need to search for their best version. Everyone has something good, and that’s the part you need to find and work with. Unfortunately, I haven’t had enough time to discover everyone. There are lots of varied and diverse problems. I only got to know the team by chance, from the interactions I had with them. But they’re good people!

Maybe some of them chose the wrong career, but they can blossom if the best in them comes to light, if they feel good when they’re going to the town hall! When I was working at PRO TV, I would feel butterflies in my stomach when approaching the building – it looked like a shopping mall, with sandwich panels. I felt proud to work there. This is how I want everyone who works at the town hall to feel! And this is doable! Otherwise, if you don’t like what you’re doing, then you will be depressed at the end of the day.

Romanian Best Locations promotes the best places in the country. The Robelos magazine hunts for these places. In this context, what is the touristic potential of the town?

The potential is huge! Unfortunately, many don’t see this. I am sure that, at the end of my mandate, Câmpulung will be a touristic resort of national significance. It is the most well preserved town from the historical }ara Româneasc\ region – and, I think, also from Romania, in terms of the state of the buildings that are part of the national heritage. This has only been possible thanks to God. Unfortunately, the industry in Câmpulung, together with its crown jewel, ARO, went bankrupt, and the people didn’t have any more money. Those who had the buildings in custody made a mockery of them. These are exceptional buildings. We have so many true stories to tell about them – unlike those stories they use to promote such buildings abroad, where tourism is going great. We have the votive crosses made out of stone, hundreds of years old, we have historical monuments managed by the Archiepiscopate of Arge[ and Muscel, specific to the region, and there are some sensational monasteries – The Negru Vod\ Orthodox Monastery for Monks, founded in 1215 by Radu Negru Voievod and, within a 20 kilometer radius you have the monasteries which make up The Triangle of Cave Monasteries (Cet\]eni, N\m\ie[ti and Corbii de Piatr\). There is also “Carol I” National College, a magnificent institution for secondary education, built by the King, which is the continuation of the “Carol I” School in Bucharest. Also, some famous movies were shot here – “Titanic Vals”, 1964, after Tudor Mu[atescu’s homonymous theatre play, starring George Vasiliu Birlic in the role of Spirache Nec[ulescu, “Ultima noapte de dragoste, întâia noapte de r\zboi”… Then there are the stories… for instance, the story of the Pardon Boulevard… Did you know that people from Bucharest used to come here for leisure, and there were so many people that their elbows were touching, so they apologized – Pardon, pardon…? This is how the boulevard got its name – the Pardon Boulevard.

Then, there is the story of the Merci Garden, a fantastic story… Câmpulung is one of the few towns in Romania where you can land in the town center and go straight to the Public Gardens and, from there, just crossing the street, you can go to another park, and to yet another park, and so on… It is a city of parks and gardens! We need to promote all of these things that God has given us and I wish for us to provide quality services – I am referring especially to the HoReCa industry. I want us to have dual education, based on model of the Lausanne School of Hospitality. We also have something unique here in Câmpulung, but unfortunately only a small part is in the possession of the municipality – The Royal Hotel is like the Negresco in Nissa, only smaller. Câmpulung was the King’s – Carol the 1st – favorite town. He wanted to build the Pele[ castle in Câmpulung, but the people had none of it –they didn’t want to be “slaves” to the King…

Queen Mary wore the traditional garment from Câmpulung – which is unique among the Romanian national garments – with great pride. The traditional wedding garment from Câmpulung could be always be the star of the show at catwalks in New York or Milano… Not to mention the wonderful regional cuisine… We also have a snack you won’t find elsewhere – the pretzel with egg. But we cannot promote the town too heavily at the moment because now it is one big construction site. No one has done anything for thirty years, so bringing in

ca]i, între ghilimele educa]i, în ace[ti 30 de ani, s\ ne dezbin\m ca popor. Toat\ gândirea din ace[ti ani a fost gre[it\. Un popor dezbinat e mai u[or de controlat.

Cea mai mare „bub\” pe care o avem la aceast\ or\ e aceast\ b\taie de joc la adresa educa]iei. Este o lips\ de educa]ie.

În toate ac]iunile mele, în tot ce intreprind, m\ gândesc cum s\ fac s\ cresc calitatea vie]ii oamenilor [i s\ unesc comunitatea. {i cum pot face asta? Prin evenimente, prin ac]iuni împreun\… Asta este ceea ce ne lipse[te. Eu asta îmi doresc. Eu cred c\, dac\ suntem uni]i [i începem s\ percepem p\mântul pe care c\lc\m ca fiind casa noastr\, parte din curtea noastr\, lucrurile se vor schimba. Eu nu cred c\ cineva î[i arunc\ hårtia de la shaorma pe persanul din living, a[a cum face pe strad\. Pân\ când nu vom con[tientiza c\ toate aceste lucruri, ora[ul, strada, sunt ale noastre [i trebuie tratate cu respect, pân\ atunci nu se va schimba nimic.

Aceste lucruri se fac greeeeeu! Reformele se fac greeeeeu! Dac\ lu\m ca exemplu educa]ia din Norvegia, care a fost copiat\ de Letonia, vom vedea c\ au fost necesari 20 de ani pentru a fi implementat\. {i asta doar ca s\ o copieze. Sunt procese care dureaz\, care m\nånc\ timp… dar trebuie f\cute! Nu exist\ alt\ cale. Trebuie s\ inspiri oamenii din jurul t\u, pe oamenii de bun\ credin]\, s\ fii un exemplu pentru ei, s\ spun\ – Uite, m\! Femeia asta chiar a putut s\ fac\…

Hai! Vino! Bag\-te! Pentru c\, altfel, scena politic\ nu se va schimba! Iar f\r\ politic\ nu po]i face lucruri. Eu folosesc politicul ca pe un instrument cu care s\ ajut oamenii. A[a ar trebui s\ fac\ oricare politician. Dar oamenii de calitate nu intr\ în politic\ pentru c\ au impresia c\ intr\ în l\turi, cum se zice pe romåne[te. Dar ideea este c\, dac\ e[ti de bun\ credin]\, po]i s\ faci lucruri. Trebuie s\ stai acolo, s\ nu î]i perzi min]ile c\ e[ti primar. Eu [tiam c\ func]ia nu m\ va corupe, veneam cu o experien]\ de 25 de ani în televiziune, în fa]a reflectoarelor, [i nu mi-a luat Dumnezeu min]ile. Am r\mas tot re]inut\ [i normal\, a[a cum eram când am plecat de la Ha]eg. Doar a[a se pot schimba lucrurile, încercând s\ inspiri pe cei din jur.

Cum decurge o zi din via]a unui primar, din via]a dumneavoastr\? Aoleu, Doamne! Din ce zi a s\pt\månii?

Am insomnii, cel mai tårziu m\ trezesc pe la 5 diminea]a. Trag aer adânc în piept, aprind televizorul, verific telefonul, m\ joc cu c\]elu[a mea, dup\ care încep preg\tirile de drum –trebuie s\ ies „]ipl\” din cas\. Sunt femeie, iar lumea se uit\ la toate detaliile. Apoi, plec la serviciu. Plec cu drag, în fiecare zi! Luni am maxim 15 minute pentru a-mi bea cafeaua, timp în care colegii mei vin la mine s\ m\ întrebe diverse lucruri. Dup\ care, începe nebunia! Lunea începe [edin]a operativ\, care dureaz\ dou\-trei ore, mar]ea am audien]e, dup\ care începe munca de teren. Sunt multe variabile pe care trebuie s\ le iau în calcul. Îmi rezerv întotdeauna o or\ pentru pauza de mas\ pentru c\ am constatat c\, dac\ nu îmi impun aceast\ pauz\, r\mân nemâncat\ pån\ seara. {i, apoi, uit\ Dumnezeu de mine! Pân\ pe la cinci, la [ase, la nou\, la zece… sunt în prim\rie. Nu pot s\-mi fac un program exact, am foarte, foarte mult\ treab\, sunt multe lucruri care trebuie rezolvate. Cred c\ a[ putea s\ scriu o carte despre ce am f\cut în acest an [i ar ajunge bestseller. Sunt multe lucruri m\runte pe care nu ar trebui s\ le fac\ un primar… v\d o priz\ strâmb\… priza aceea ar trebui s\ stea dreapt\! Sunt lucruri elementare care trebuie f\cute. Am mo[tenit un teanc imens de studii de fezabilitate f\cute „din birou” [i iau proiectan]ii [i merg cu ei pe teren [i le spun: cum po]i s\ scrii c\ strada asta are 10 metri cånd ea nu are mai mult de cinci, se vede cu ochiul liber. {i atunci trebuie f\cute update-uri la aceste studii. Sunt atât de multe lucruri de f\cut cum nu v\ pute]i imagina...

Verific, în fiecare zi, plângerile f\cute pe aplica]ia E-Muscel, care este, iar\[i, o aplica]ie controversat\, pentru c\, nu-i a[a, persoana cu care am realizat aceast\ aplica]ie a contactat peste 200 de primari [i to]i au spus „Nu!”. Aplica]ia e un fel de ac]iune sinuciga[\ – cet\]eanul poate semnala în timp real unde este o groap\ [i se poate vedea cine a preluat problema, în cât timp a fost ea rezolvat\, se posteaz\ poze cu groapa respectiv\… {i toat\ lumea mi-a spus: nu e bine ce faci! {i le-am r\spuns c\ e foarte bine ce fac. M\ intereseaz\ s\ v\d p\rerea oamenilor. Eu nu fac în fiecare zi ce visez noaptea. De la oameni aflu despre nevoile lor. M\ asigur c\ banii lor sunt cheltui]i corect, cu cap, c\ toate lucrurile sunt transpatourists right now would do more harm than good. At the moment, Câmpulung is a transit point. My goal is to make it a weekend destination in a few years and, in the end, in five-six years, I want it to become a destination where tourists can stay for a week. There are lots of things that can be done. We can encourage certain niches such as SPAs or esthetic clinics, we can promote it as a place to go for a retreat in the mountains… Mountain biking is also an activity that could be attractive here… There are many tourism-related things we could do… Not to mention our very beautiful girls!

Behind the scenes, have you ever thought – “I can’t do this anymore!” ?

Yeees! I oftentimes felt that my head was about to explode. Everything is hard, everything is seized up… In the morning, when I wake up – I live on a hill, closer to the periphery, and I see the town – I see P\pu[a Peak and it gives me great energy. This town deserves to be helped, this country deserves to be helped… We cannot afford for Romanians to leave this country anymore! We must do something! If everyone stays in their own little bubble, things will never change! This is what I’m doing everyday – I look for opportunities to dribble past this putrid system and get things moving. This fight consumes lots of energy.

To develop the previous question – What do you think it is that we,

Romanians, lack to make things work?

First thing, we need to be united. For thirty years we have been educated – educated in quotation marks – to have a divisive attitude. This thinking is wrong. A divided nation is easier to control.

Our biggest weakness at this moment is the mockery that we call education. There is a lack of education.

In everything I do, I always think – how can I improve people’s quality of life, how can I bring more cohesion into the community. And how should this be done? Through initiatives, through inclusive actions… This is what we lack, and this is what I wish for. I think that, if we become united and start to perceive the soil we are walking over as our home, as a part of our garden, things will change. I don’t think anyone throws the shawarma packaging on their carpet, like they do on the street. Until we become aware of these things – that the town, the street, belong to all of us and they need to be treated with respect – nothing will change.

But it’s haaard doing things! Reforms are hard to do! If we take the example of Norway, their educational model was borrowed by the Latvian system, and twenty years were necessary for it to be implemented properly. All this time was necessary just to copy the system! These are time-consuming processes… But they must be done! There is no alternative. You need to inspire the people around you, the people of good faith, you must be a model for them, they must say – Now look at this woman! She really did it! Come on, everyone! Get involved, otherwise politics won’t change! And without politics, you can’t do anything. I use politics as an instrument for helping people. This is what every politician should do. But men of character don’t enter politics because they are under the impression they are getting themselves into a pile of pig slop. But the thing is – if you’re a person of good faith, you can change things! You must put in the work and not let your position get to your head. I knew that power would not corrupt me because I had the 25 year experience from television, in the spotlight, and it didn’t get to my head. I remained normal and restrained, like I was when I left Ha]eg. This is the only way to change things, by inspiring those around you.

How does a day in your life go?

Oh my God! Which day? I have insomnia, I wake up, at the latest, at 5 o’ clock. I take a deep breath, I turn on the TV, I check my phone, I play with my dog, after which I prepare for the day. I need to look my best when I get out of the house – I’m a woman, and people observe all of these details. Then, I leave for work. I leave my house everyday happy to go to work. On Mondays, I have a maximum of 15 minutes to drink my coffee, during which time my colleagues ask me various things. After that, the madness begins! On Mondays there is the operative meeting, which lasts for twothree hours, on Tuesdays I have public audiences, and then I have field work. There are many variables I have to take into account. I’m always careful to leave an hour for the lunch break, because I’ve noticed that if I’m not consciously imposing this “measure” on myself, I’ll end up starving by the evening. And then God forgets about me… Until six-nine-ten o’clock, I’m at the town hall. I can’t have an exact schedule because there’s lots of work, lots of things that need to be done. I think if I were to write a book about the things I’ve done this year, it would be a bestseller. There are lots of small things that a mayor shouldn’t have to do – I see a crooked electrical outlet… that thing should be straight! Basic stuff that needs to be done… I’ve inherited a huge pile of feasibility studies done “from the confines of the office”, so I take the designer with me and I say to him – How can you write in the project that this street is ten meters when you can see with the naked eye that it is no wider than five? We need to update the studies, then… There are so many things to be done that you can’t even imagine.

I regularly check the complaints on the EMuscel app. This is, again, a controversial project – the person we worked with for this app contacted 200 mayors before and they all said “No!”. The app is kind of suicidal because citizens can report a pothole in real time, and they can see who was assigned to deal with their complaint, how long it took to fix things, they receive photos… Everyone told me – It’s not good what you’re doing! And I told them –It’s very good what I’m doing! I care about the people’s say. I don’t just do what I dream at night should be done – I learn about the needs of the people straight from the source. I make sure that the money is correctly spent and that everything is transparent, that the work will be up to standards…

So the “system” is putting up a fight!

Of course. Full power!

You are a public figure, a star, as they say on TV. To what extent did your notoriety help in your work at the town hall?

It helped, of course. It helped me in my development, as a person. I was shy and nerdy as a child. But the teachers got me to sing in the choir, recite poetry… It was a nightmare for me to do all these things, but this experience –the teachers pushing me – helped me get on TV, and the experience I got from working there helped me a great deal, and it will continue to do so, for the rest of my life. When I was working in television, I was always in touch with reality, with the latest trends. I knew, in a way, how public administration worked, but my knowledge was not “from the inside”.

My experience from working in television helped me empathize with people, to care about them… This is what politics and public administration should be all about!

You passed the test of celebrity. How do the people of Câmpulung and the employees at the town hall look at you?

They are afraid of me.

Ithink some admire me, because they see

rente [i c\ lucrarea va fi de calitate.

Din ultimul r\spuns în]eleg c\ „sistemul” se opune!

Logic. Cu toat\ for]a.

Sunte]i o persoan\ public\, o vedet\, în termeni de televiziune. În ce m\sur\ v-a ajutat notorietatea în munca de la prim\rie?

M-a ajutat experien]a din televiziune, normal. M-a ajutat [i în formarea mea, ca om. Eu, în copil\rie, eram o persoan\ timid\ [i tocilar\. Profesorii m\ b\gau în cor, la recitat… Era un vis urât pentru mine s\ fac toate aceste lucruri, dar experien]a din [coal\, „împinsul de la spate”, m-a ajutat s\ ajung în televiziune, iar experien]a din televiziune m-a ajutat foarte mult, m\ ajut\ în continuare [i m\ va ajuta toat\ via]a, normal. În televiziune am fost tot timpul conectat\ cu realitatea, cu ultimele trenduri. {tiam, oarecum, ce înseamn\ administra]ia public\, dar nu o [tiam din interior.

Experien]a din televiziune m-a ajutat s\ pot empatiza cu oamenii, s\-mi pese de ei… despre asta trebuie s\ fie vorba „în propozi]ie!” {i în politic\, [i în administra]ie!

A]i trecut proba celebrit\]ii. Cum se raporteaz\ cet\]enii ora[ului, dar [i func]ionarii din prim\rie, la dumneavoastr\?

Le este fric\ de mine! Unii, cred, sunt în adora]ie, pentru c\ v\d c\ fac lucrurile bine, c\ sunt vulcanic\, a[a cum sunt eu. Altora le este fric\ de mine. Nu [tiu de ce.

Romånia e „Man’s, Man’s, Man’s world” (James Brown). Ave]i probleme de natur\ misogin\? 100% misoginismul este în floare! Îl simt peste tot. Dac\ a[ fi fost un b\rbat urât [i gras [i a[ fi fost un primar doar de decor, care s\ î[i vad\ de propriul interes, nivelul de „hate” împotriva mea nu ar fi ajuns nici la 10% din ce este acum. Garantat. Sunt foarte pu]ini b\rba]i care se uit\ la o femeie ca la un egal. Chiar dac\ femeia este, în toat\ celula ei, mam\, [i nu î[i risc\ libertatea a[a cum o fac cu u[urin]\ b\rba]ii, sunt multe plusuri pe care le are o femeie în compara]ie cu un b\rbat [i, cu toate acestea, nu îmi aduc aminte s\ fi avut în România prea multe modele femei. Poate doar ridicate de puterea partidului.

Unde v\ dori]i s\ fi]i, s\ ajunge]i, la terminarea mandatului?

Eu îmi doresc – [i nu [tiu dac\ se va întåmpla în acest mandat, pentru c\ v\d ce iner]ie are sistemul [i ce încet se mi[c\ toate proiectele de achizi]ii [i toate procedurile – s\ ajung cel mai bun primar din România [i îmi doresc ca ora[ul Cåmpulung Muscel s\ fie pe buzele tuturor, s\ fie o destina]ie european\. {tiu c\ sun\ pompos, dar eu acolo vreau s\ ajung. Eu a[a v\d lucrurile. Asta simt, [i dac\ m\ ajut\ Dumnezeu [i m\ ]ine în via]\ s\n\toas\, se va [i întâmpla!

{tiu c\ v\ plac poeziile, [tiu c\, în liceu, scria]i poezii. Care este poetul [i poezia dumneavoastr\ preferat\? „- Ce-ai lua cu tine, / Dac\ s-ar pune problema / S\ faci zilnic naveta între rai [i iad, / Ca s\ ]ii ni[te cursuri? / - O carte, o sticl\ cu vin [io femeie, Doamne, / Dac\ nu-]i cer prea mult (…). Dac\ nu cer prea mult, de Marin Sorescu.

Îmi place [i Ana Blandiana, poezia Descântec de ploaie: „Iubesc ploile, iubesc cu patim\ ploile, / Înnebunitele ploi [i ploile calme, / Ploile feciorelnice [i ploile-dezl\n]uite femei (…). I do things well, I have a volcanic temper –that’s me! Others are afraid of me. I don’t know why.

Romania is a “Man’s, Man’s, Man’s world” (James Brown). Do you have problems with misogyny?

Absolutely, misogyny is alive and kicking. I can feel it everywhere. If I were an ugly fat man, a cardboard figure only looking after his own interest, I think I wouldn’t receive even ten percent of the hate I receive today. Guaranteed. Very few men look at a woman as their equal. Even if women are moms in their essence and they don’t take risks with the ease of a man, there are lots of positive traits a woman has in comparison with a man. However, I don’t remember too many female models from Romania. Maybe just those who were promoted by the ruling party.

What is your goal for the end of your mandate?

I wish – and I don’t know if this is possible in this mandate, because I can see the resistance from the system and how slow all the procedures and public auctions go – to be the best mayor in Romania and I wish for Câmpulung to be on everyone’s lips, to be an European destination. I know this sounds pompous, but this where I want us to be! That’s how I see things. That’s how I feel and, if God keeps me healthy and allows for it, it will happen!

We know you like poetry, that you used to write poetry in high school. Who is your favorite poet and what is your favorite poem?

What’d you take with you,

If the situation arose,

On your daily commute between heaven and hell,

To teach some courses?

A book, a bottle of wine and a woman,

My Lord, if it’s not too much trouble (…)

If it’s not too much trouble–Marin Sorescu

I also like Ana Blandiana, especially the poem – Rain Spell

I love rains, I so passionately do,

The rains gone insane and the tender rains,

The virginal rains and the unbridledwomen-rains (…) Marcel {tef