Politics of RomaniaBy: Benedict Gombocz

Government of Romania Government (Guvernul):

Unitary semi-presidential republic and multi-party democracy

President (Preşedintele României): Traian Băsescu

Prime Minister (Prim-ministru): Victor Ponta

President of Senate (Presedintele Senatului): Crin Antonescu

President of Chamber (Presedintele Camera): Valeriu Zgonea

Parliament represented parties Democratic Liberal Party

(Partidul Democrat-Liberal, PD-L)

Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség, RMDSz; Uniunea Democrată Maghiară din România, UDMR)

Social Democratic Party (Partidul Social Democrat, PSD)

National Liberal Party (Partidul Naţional Liberal, PNL)

Conservative Party (Partidul Conservator, PC)

Years of Romanian presidential elections and the winning party1990: National Salvation Front (Frontul Salvării

Naţionale, FSN) 1992: Social Democratic Party (Partidul Social

Democrat, PSD)1996: Romanian Democratic Convention (Convenţia

Democrată Română, CDR)2000: Social Democratic Party (Partidul Social

Democrat, PSD)2004: Justice and Truth Alliance (Alianţa Dreptate şi

Adevăr, D.A. PNL-PD) 2009: Democratic Liberal Party (Partidul Democrat-

Liberal, PD-L)

Non-parliament represented parties with local representatives Greater Romania Party (Partidul România

Mare, PRM)New Generation Party – Christian Democratic

(Partidul Noua Generaţie – Creştin Democrat, PNGCD)

Christian-Democratic National Peasants’ Party (Partidul Naţional Ţărănesc Creştin Democrat, PNŢ-CD)

Democratic Liberal Party Populist, centre-right party Currently the ruling partyFounded on 15 December

2007 when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party

Part of then governing Justice and Alliance from 2004 to 2007

Won most seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in 2008 and formed a government coalition with the Social Democratic Party

Democratic Union of Hungarians in RomaniaMain political organization

representing the Hungarian minority of Romania

Organized as a political alliance, but nevertheless acts as one of the five main parties of Romania

Member or supporter of every government between 1996 and 2008

Entered opposition after 2008 legislative elections, but returned as a member of the government coalition in late 2009

Social Democratic Party Formed in 1992 after post-

communist National Salivation Front broke apart

Adopted its present name after merging with a minor social-democratic party in 2001

Governed Romania twice: From 1992 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2004

Entered into a coalition with the Democratic Liberal Party and formed a government led by Emil Boc

Because of disagreements with Boc, the Social Democrats abandoned the coalition government in 2009

National Liberal Party Centre-right liberal party Largest member of then

governing Justice and Truth alliance until April 2007

Entered opposition after 2008 legislative election and won 19.74% of seats in the Parliament; new government coalition formed by former ally Democratic Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party had 69.85%

Formed Social Liberal Union political alliance along with Social Democratic Party and Conservative Party on 5 February 2011

Conservative Party Founded on 18 December

1991 under the name Romanian Humanist Party (Partidul Umanist Român, PUR)

Junior member of the then ruling coalition from 2005 until 3 December 2006

Took its current name on 7 May 2005

States that it promotes tradition, family, social solidarity, European integration, and nationalism without chauvinism

Greater Romania Party Radical right-wing, ultra-

nationalist partyFounded in June 1991 Participated in government

briefly from 1993 to 1995 (in Nicolae Văcăroiu’s cabinet)

Attempted to align with the European People’s Party bloc in the European Parliament, during which it briefly changed its name to Greater Romania People’s Party

New Generation PartyNationalist, Christian

democratic political partyFounded in 2000Taken over by businessman

Gigi Becali, who became its leader, in January 2004

Won 2.2% of the popular vote but no seats in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate in 2004 legislative elections

Has been described as the United States Department of State as an “extreme nationalist party”

Christian-Democratic National Peasants’ Party Christian-Democratic partySuccessor of the National

Peasants’ Party (which, in turn, was the successor of the Romanian National Party from Transylvania)

Founded in December 1989 under the name Partidul Naţional Ţărănesc Creştin şi Democrat (PNŢCD or PNŢcd, Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party)

First officially registered party after end of communism

Emil Boc President of Democratic

Liberal Party and PM of Romania from 22 December 2008 until resignation on 6 February 2012

Born on 6 September 1966 in Răchiţele (now Mărgău)

Previously served as Mayor of Cluj-Napoca from 2004 to 2009

Acted as the head of an interim cabinet until a new Prime Minister and cabinet were confirmed by Parliament

Hunor Kelemen President of Democratic

Union of Hungarians in Romania and a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies since 2000

Born on 18 October 1967 in Cârţa

Was nominated as his party’s candidate in the 2009 presidential elections and received 3.8% of the valid votes

Romania’s Minister of Culture in Emil Boc’s government since December 2009

Victor Ponta Leader of Social Democratic

Party and member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Gorj County

Current PM of Romania Born on 20 September 1972

in Bucharest Was Minister-Delegate for

Relations with Parliament from 2008 to 2009 in the Emil Boc cabinet

Received a master’s degree in International Criminal Law from the University of Catania in 2000

Crin Antonescu President of National Liberal

Party and President of the Senate

Born on 21 September 1959 in Tulcea

Was a candidate in the 2009 presidential election

Was elected as a member of the Senate in the 2008 legislative election

Member of the Chamber of Deputies between 1996 and 2008; acted as party delegates leader between 2007 and 2008

Daniel Constantin President of the

Conservative PartyBorn on 26 June 1978 in

Bucharest Previously served as

President of APIA (Agenția de Plăți și Intervenție pentru Agricultură, Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture) for six months- April to October 2009

Corneliu Vadim Tudor Leader of Greater Romania

Party Born on 28 November 1949

in Bucharest Served as a senator from

1992 to 2008Known for his nationalist

and patriotic views Founded the Nationalist

Weekly România Mare (Greater Romania), a magazine favorable to government policies, in June 1990

George Becali Leader of New

Generation Party Born on 25 June

1958 in Zagna, Vădeni, Brăila

Best known for his participation in the Steaua București football club

Member of the European Parliament since 2009

Marian Milut President of Christian-

Democratic National Peasants’ Party

Born on 29 December 1955 in Craiova, Dolj County

Was also president of the Romanian Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Union and assisted the Union’s co-operation with the European Popular Party

Results of 2009 presidential elections – First round

Results of 2009 presidential elections – Second round

Summary of 22 November and 6 December 2009 presidential elections resultsDemocratic Liberal Party: 32.44%Social Democratic Party + Conservative Party: 31.15%National Liberal Party: 20.02%Greater Romania Party: 5.56%Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania: 3.83%Independent: 3.18%New Generation Party – Christian Democratic: 1.91%Green Party: 0.62%Socialist Alliance Party: 0.45%Independent: 0.35% Ecologist Party of Romania: 0.23%Independent: 0.21%

Sfârşit (The End)