Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Moonwalking Romanian politician ordered to stop dancing

A moonwalking Romanian politician has been ordered by leaders of his political party to tone down his antics. Edmond Talmacean, a 40-year-old Bucharest-based politician, has inspired national headlines with his Michael Jackson-inspired moonwalk on a television show and his impersonations of the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. His impersonation of a well-known sports commentator during a serious political debate also stunned other lawmakers into silence.

"Dancing is another kind of political message to appeal to the younger generation, that it is good to have fun ... that you can go to a disco and dance," Mr Talmacean said. Party leaders, however, say enough is enough and have ordered him to tone down. Prime Minister Emil Boc declared the routine was more suited to "showbiz" than politics.


YouTube link.

Despite the official disapproval, Mr Talmacean is a popular figure in Romanian society, gossiped about in coffee bars and hairdressing shops. Traffic to his political blog has soared, boosting it from 49th most viewed to the seventh in just two weeks. "I think he expressed the way he felt which is good," said Valentina Tudor, 25, a sandwich vendor in Bucharest, the capital.

"It's not as if he stole or did something bad. He is talented. I can't imagine (President) Basescu doing the moonwalk." Mr Talmacean has promised to keep a low profile until party elections next month but says he has no regrets. "I danced, I sang. These are the qualities of the Romanian people," he said.

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