RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Political Prospects in Romania

Whether in power or in opposition, Romanias political parties are facing internal changes.

, 05.01.2015, 14:20

2015 is not a big election year in Romania. After the local and parliamentary elections of 2012 and the presidential elections of 2014, this year will only see a number of by-elections for the seats of senators and deputies that have become vacant as their occupants have resigned, died or been sentenced for corruption. Prosecutors have also wrought havoc among the local administration, with many mayors and county council presidents now under arrest. Under the circumstances, commentators say the local political scene will be dominated this year by clarifications, repositioning and account settling within each party.



The senior member of the ruling coalition for the last two and a half years, the Social Democratic Party is also the biggest party in Romania and the party with the biggest internal problems. The party’s shocking defeat in the presidential elections, something no opinion poll had predicted, has not yet been digested by its members. The last time the left wing won the presidential elections in this country was 14 years ago, with Ion Iliescu. As they did in 2004 with Adrian Nastase and in 2009 with Mircea Geoana, the Social Democrats are again expected to rid themselves of the man who lost the elections, their leader and the country’s prime minister Victor Ponta. According to his own statements, Ponta is not sure he will run for a new term as party president at the Social Democrats’ Congress in March.



The Conservative Party, a junior member of the ruling coalition, has not had a good start in 2015, either, following an open conflict between its current president and agriculture minister Daniel Constantin and the founder of the party, the media mogul Dan Voiculescu, who is serving 10 years in prison for corruption. The media have speculated that the row between the two may cause a split within the party, between the members who are loyal to Voiculescu and the more pragmatic members who are pinning their hopes on the “young wolf”.



In its turn, the right wing, in opposition, has not been very able to manage the happy outcome of the presidential elections, which its candidate Klaus Iohannis won in November. The latter has been accused, albeit not openly, of pushing for his protégé, the young and inexperienced Alina Gorghiu, to win the leadership of the National Liberal Party to the detriment of Ludovic Orban, one of the party’s oldest and most pugnacious members. This has led to additional complications for a party priding itself that freedom of expression always prevails over monolithic unity.



Another big challenge for the Liberals this year is the painstaking completion of their merger with the Liberal Democrats to form a big right wing party affiliated to the European People’s Party. The merger will be all the more difficult as for the last 25 years, the Liberals and the Liberal Democrats have more often been at odds with each other than on the same side.



Finally, 2015 is the year when two relatively new parties have the chance to consolidate their position: the Reformist Liberal Party, in the ruling coalition, which was founded by the former prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, and the People’s Movement Party, in opposition, which outgoing president Traian Basescu is expected to head.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Source: NATO)
Today in the News Tuesday, 05 November 2024

NATO must stay united

NATO will work with the winner of the US elections, whoever that person may be and will do its best to stay united, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte...

NATO must stay united
Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe
The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Election campaigns in Romania

    The campaign for the general election in Romania started last week, at midnight on Thursday, and will end on 30 November. During this...

Election campaigns in Romania
November 1 - National Radio Day
Today in the News Friday, 01 November 2024

Radio Romania 96

Radio Romania has celebrated 96 years since it first entered the listeners houses from Romania and abroad. On November 1 1928 the Romanians were able...

Radio Romania 96
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

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