RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Ordinance on Party Switching

A government emergency ordinance gives local elected officials 45 days to switch parties.

Ordinance on Party Switching
Ordinance on Party Switching

, 03.09.2014, 13:41

The low approval rates reported for the Romanian politicians in all national public confidence surveys are neither surprising, nor ungrounded. Over the past few years, anti-corruption prosecutors have brought to Court politicians of all political affiliations and from all administrative levels, going from mayors and local councilors to MPs and ministers and culminating with the former Social Democratic PM Adrian Nastase.



The public distrust is fueled not only by politicians breaking or bending the law, but also by their generally low moral standards, reflected in the primacy of personal and party interests over the nation’s well-being, or in shady dealings between private companies and public institutions.



One of the most heavily criticized practices among politicians is party switching, which is so common in the Romanian Parliament that it helped form or bring down governments. This is precisely why, political analysts say, the Government of Romania, made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania, the Conservatives and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, further stained its image when it passed an emergency ordinance that gives local elected officials 45 days to change their party affiliation without losing their offices.



The Cabinet claims that in many cases the activity of local authorities gets stuck because of the reorganization of parties and of political and electoral alliances.



The piece of legislation is strongly opposed by the National Liberal Party and the Liberal Democrats, which have recently formed the Christian-Liberal Alliance. They announced a censure motion on this topic, on grounds that the ordinance paves the way for political proselytism attempts. Other observers also share the view that the Social Democratic Party will try to manipulate budget allocations so as to win over as many mayors as possible, who would then support PM Victor Ponta’s presidential candidacy in November.

Photographer: Dati Bendo ©European Union, 2025 Source: EC - Audiovisual Service
Today in the News Tuesday, 08 April 2025

How will the EU respond to the US tariffs?

The European Union says it prefers to negotiate with the United States to avoid a trade war, while considering a first set of countermeasures to the...

How will the EU respond to the US tariffs?
Banca Naţională a României (foto: bnr.ro)
Today in the News Tuesday, 08 April 2025

The National Bank and economic uncertainty

The National Bank of Romania has decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 6.5% per year. It also decided to keep the interest rates...

The National Bank and economic uncertainty
Source: MAPN
Today in the News Monday, 07 April 2025

Romania celebrates 21 years of NATO membership

“The values promoted by the Washington Treaty, in particular the deep significance of Article 5 referring to collective defence, have been and will...

Romania celebrates 21 years of NATO membership
Sebastian Burduja / Photo: gov.ro
Today in the News Monday, 07 April 2025

Romania and energy sources

Azerbaijan has been supplying gas to the European Union since December 2020 and has become an important alternative in the context of the energy...

Romania and energy sources
Today in the News Friday, 04 April 2025

Aid for companies affected by US tariffs

Romania, just like other European economies, is preparing for the new tariffs announced by the Trump administration.   The government in...

Aid for companies affected by US tariffs
Today in the News Friday, 04 April 2025

Meetings on defence

  The international hysteria about the US abandoning NATO is unwarranted, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the foreign ministers of...

Meetings on defence
Today in the News Thursday, 03 April 2025

New US Customs Duties

The US president Donald Trump has made a decision, experts predicted long ago, namely new tariffs on all imports to US. In a speech delivered at the...

New US Customs Duties
Today in the News Thursday, 03 April 2025

Romania, towards the OECD

Romania is on track to complete all the technical analyses for joining the OECD in the next twelve months or so. The announcement was made by the...

Romania, towards the OECD

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company