RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Political Reconfigurations

Romania's main political parties have started preparations for the presidential election due this autumn.

, 11.06.2014, 13:29

Ahead of this autumn’s presidential race, Romanian political parties try to secure the best position at the starting line. The first move came from the two main opposition parties, the right-of-centre Liberals and Liberal Democrats, which shortly after the EP election announced they would negotiate the terms of a merger. The goal is to challenge the primacy of the left-wing alliance made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservative Party, which is in power in Romania and won half of Romania’s seats in the European Parliament.



But the ruling coalition doesn’t seem willing to sit back and wait for the right wing to strengthen and ruin its plans for the presidential election. To prove that, the Social Democrat PM Victor Ponta announced last week that negotiations had been launched with the populist Party of the People, in opposition, on an arrangement that might entail changes not only in the local government structure, but in the Cabinet as well.



Victor Ponta: “We haven’t reached a conclusion yet, so we’ll talk about this when we have a result, probably next week. If anything needs changing in the government structure, we will discuss it together.”



In turn, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, also in the ruling coalition, doesn’t see the Socialists’ move with a friendly eye. According to its leader Kelemen Hunor, inviting the Party of the People into the governmental team would severely affect the image of the current cabinet.



Kelemen Hunor: “This would be a terrible blow for the image of this cabinet. At local level, each party is free to make arrangements, but at a central government level, things are different. I think this would be a mistake.”



According to analysts, the ethnic Hungarians’ reluctance is not ungrounded. The Party of the People was founded by a former tabloid television owner, Dan Diaconescu, who managed to capitalise on his audience’s political frustration and to turn them into an electoral mass of manoeuvre. This is how, in the 2012 parliamentary election, the party scored a shocking 15%. Still, it has plummeted to 4% in the EP election last month, and many of its members elected into the Parliament of Romania have defected, joining the Social Democratic Party in power.

Signing of the protocol (foto:
Today in the News Friday, 22 November 2024

Transition program towards F-35, launched

The Romanian Air Force’s transition program to 5th generation aircraft has been launched.   Romania’s decision to acquire advanced fighter...

Transition program towards F-35, launched
Energy (foto: EdWhiteImages / pixabay.com)
Today in the News Friday, 22 November 2024

The National Energy Strategy, adopted

Using local resources, reducing imports and making massive investments in production capacity are important elements of the new National Energy...

The National Energy Strategy, adopted
European Commission (photo: © European Union - Source: EC - Audiovisual Service / Photographer: Christophe Licoppe)
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

Political agreement on the new European Commission

    The leaders of the three major political groups in the European Parliament have given the green light to the members of the next...

Political agreement on the new European Commission
Photo: aep.ro
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

13 for Romania

    In Romania, presidential elections usually spark the greatest interest and emotions. Even more so this year, when the two rounds of the...

13 for Romania
Today in the News Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading

On Tuesday, the Romanian company Romgaz launched its first issue of bonds on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, worth 500 million EUR. Romgaz is the...

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania ahead of the presidential election

Next month, President Klaus Iohannis will end his second and last five-year term in office according to the Romanian Constitution. The so-called...

Romania ahead of the presidential election
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels

NATO welcomes Romania’s continuous efforts and its significant contribution to strengthening the Alliance and Euro-Atlantic security, NATO...

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels
Today in the News Monday, 18 November 2024

Downward forecast from the European Commission

Romania’s economic growth estimate has been recalculated by the European Commission (EC), at a value well below the initially established...

Downward forecast from the European Commission

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