Romania – The Romanian centre-left Social Democratic Party (PSD) won in a landslide elections on Sunday, December 11, with close to 46% of the total vote, one year after the forced resignation of the Social Democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta in November 2015 due to protests against corruption and inept public administration.
The main opponent, the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL) came a distant second with 20% of the vote, while the third position is occupied by USR (Save Romania Union) – a newly founded party with roots in NGO’s, who was able to gather 8% of the vote.
Also the new parliament will include smaller parties such as ALDE – a traditional ally of the Social Democrats, UDMR – the party of the Hungarian minority, and PMP – the party of the former president Traian Băsescu. The Social Democrats together with their smaller partner ALDE will have an absolute majority in the new Parliament. The newly formed nationalists parties PRU and ANR were unable to surpass the 5% benchmark required to enter the Parliament.
The elections were characterized by a rather low turnout bellow 40% which benefits the leftist parties, traditionally with a more disciplined electorate. The results mean a severe defeat for the country’s current political leaders, mainly Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș, a Brussels backed bureaucrat and President Klaus Johannis, who endorsed the centre-right parties.
While strongly plagued by corruption charges against their leaders, the Social Democrats, led by Liviu Dragnea (illustration), successfully managed a low key campaign, targeting mostly Romanian rural and disfranchised communities. Also important points were scored by pointing out the subservience of the current government and rightist parties to Brussels bureaucracy, foreign corporate interests and financial backers, including George Soros funded NGOs.
The results of the elections show a Romanian map covered in red, the Social Democrats winning the most votes even in traditional fiefdoms of the right, such as the Western provinces of Banat and Transylvania, or the capital Bucharest.
By Bodgan Radu Herzog.
