The Resurgence of the Left
On Sunday June 5 2016 Romania a crucial U.S. ally in Eastern Europe held its local elections in anticipation of the November legislative elections. The final results showed a disappointing surge of the leftist parties. They won 45 nationally (PSD/social democrat party and UNPR/national progressive union - 40 ALDE/liberal democrat alliance - 5). By comparison the center-right parties won 40 (PNL/national liberal party - 35 PMP/peoples movement party - 5) while the rest of the votes went to some minor parties.
Bucharest Romanias capital and a traditional stronghold of the right-wing forces was handily won with 40 of the votes by PSDs Gabriela Firea for the first time after the 1989 post-communist history of the city.
The same occurred in the other large cities and counties in South-East regions of Muntenia and Moldova while PNL close to president Klaus Iohannis dominated the Western region of Transylvania; see MAP here (The Political Map of Romania after the June 2016 Local Elections).
How Could All These Happen?
The main factors were the one-round elections coupled with a low turnout.
After 1989 local elections in Romania were held in two rounds. Law 115 of 2015 sponsored by PSD and a neglectful PNL imposed one-round elections. Right-wing parties used to poll strongly during the second round due to massive mobilizations of electorate. Some civil society organizations contested the constitutionality of the statute in court but with no avail. However during the year campaign debates were almost absent from the public agenda and the low turnout has helped PSD win easily.
Another factor was the lack of unity among the right-wing parties. While PSD was voted by its traditional 35 pool of voters the rest of the electorate was divided among three right-wing political parties namely PNL (of current president Klaus Iohannis) PMP (of former president Traian Băsescu) and USB (Save Bucharest Union) who competed for an irrelevant second place.
For the United States Romanias main NATO strategic partner -- it is important to know after these elections who the main actors are and what consequences for the near future can be.
Main Actors
The Romanian Presidents
Traian Băsescu: 2004-2014 president of Romania; 2004 initiator of a "Bucharest-London-Washington Axis" of military cooperation; April 2007 impeached by a PSD-PNL coalition but reconfirmed by national referendum; July 2012 impeached for the second time by a PSD-PNL coalition and reconfirmed again by national referendum (a unique case in politics!); January 2014 leader of PMP (a populist right-wing party).
Klaus Iohannis: 2014 to date president of Romania; July 2012 involved in Băsescus presidential impeachment; June 2016 criticized by some PNL leaders for passivity and lack of support.
The political parties of both Romanian presidents finished unsatisfactorily in second (Iohanniss PNL) and fifth (Băsescus PMP) places respectively.
The U.S. Ambassador
Hans Klemm: September 2015 U.S. ambassador in Romania; an active promoter of American values and democratic standards; constantly criticized by the PSD leaders for showing „too much involvement."
The PSD Leaders
Liviu Dragnea: July 2015 PSD chairman replacing Victor Ponta; November 2014 claimed that the Americans were opposed to the idea" of Victor Ponta becoming president of Romania (he later denied the allegation in a letter addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest); April 2016 convicted to a 2-year suspended sentence for electoral fraud during the 2012 presidential impeachment referendum.
Gabriela Firea: June 2016 mayor-elect of Bucharest; April 2014 opened a criminal case for threat and blackmail against former president Băsescu; October 2014 as a PSD spokesperson was reported to the National Committee for Combating Discrimination for stating that the childless Klaus Iohannis was unfit for president.
Valeriu Zgonea: July 2012 House (Chamber of Deputies) speaker (PSD); April 2016 criticized by Dragnea for attempts of taking over the PSD leadership after Dragneas conviction in court and for plotting with the American Embassy" for a solution of the issue.
Victor Ponta: July 2012 prime minister involved in the presidential impeachment; April 2016 rumored to be Zgoneas replacement as the House speaker.
The PSD leaders started from vulnerable positions (chairman Liviu Dragnea sentenced for fraud mayor-elect Gabriela Firea reported for discrimination against Iohannis and Victor Ponta losing the 2014 presidential elections) but they built the first chance in winning the November 2016 legislative elections.
Consequences
So far Romania has been a reliable and predictable U.S. ally. Yet the local election results have cast a shadow of doubt over their partnership.
The United States presidential elections of November 8 2016 was won by the Republican businessman Donald Trump while the Romanian legislative elections of December 11 2016 were won again by the left-wing PSD (45.48) and its centrist junior partner ALDE (5.62).
Anyhow President Iohannis mandate will expire in December 2019. On Friday June 9 2017 President Donald Trump welcomed Iohannis to the White House in a working visit during which the Romanian president renewed his commitments for his countrys partnership with the United States and NATO.
Also important for both countries is the fact that Romania will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU between January and June 2019.
NOTE - A version of the article was published previously in AMERICAN THINKER.
Tiberiu Dianu has published several books and a host of articles in law politics and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington DC and can be followed on MEDIUM.
*****
The Resurgence of the Left
On Sunday June 5 2016 Romania a crucial U.S. ally in Eastern Europe held its local elections in anticipation of the November legislative elections. The final results showed a disappointing surge of the leftist parties. They won 45 nationally (PSD/social democrat party and UNPR/national progressive union - 40 ALDE/liberal democrat alliance - 5). By comparison the center-right parties won 40 (PNL/national liberal party - 35 PMP/peoples movement party - 5) while the rest of the votes went to some minor parties.
Bucharest Romanias capital and a traditional stronghold of the right-wing forces was handily won with 40 of the votes by PSDs Gabriela Firea for the first time after the 1989 post-communist history of the city.
The same occurred in the other large cities and counties in South-East regions of Muntenia and Moldova while PNL close to president Klaus Iohannis dominated the Western region of Transylvania; see MAP here (The Political Map of Romania after the June 2016 Local Elections).
How Could All These Happen?
The main factors were the one-round elections coupled with a low turnout.
After 1989 local elections in Romania were held in two rounds. Law 115 of 2015 sponsored by PSD and a neglectful PNL imposed one-round elections. Right-wing parties used to poll strongly during the second round due to massive mobilizations of electorate. Some civil society organizations contested the constitutionality of the statute in court but with no avail. However during the year campaign debates were almost absent from the public agenda and the low turnout has helped PSD win easily.
Another factor was the lack of unity among the right-wing parties. While PSD was voted by its traditional 35 pool of voters the rest of the electorate was divided among three right-wing political parties namely PNL (of current president Klaus Iohannis) PMP (of former president Traian Băsescu) and USB (Save Bucharest Union) who competed for an irrelevant second place.
For the United States Romanias main NATO strategic partner -- it is important to know after these elections who the main actors are and what consequences for the near future can be.
Main Actors
The Romanian Presidents
Traian Băsescu: 2004-2014 president of Romania; 2004 initiator of a "Bucharest-London-Washington Axis" of military cooperation; April 2007 impeached by a PSD-PNL coalition but reconfirmed by national referendum; July 2012 impeached for the second time by a PSD-PNL coalition and reconfirmed again by national referendum (a unique case in politics!); January 2014 leader of PMP (a populist right-wing party).
Klaus Iohannis: 2014 to date president of Romania; July 2012 involved in Băsescus presidential impeachment; June 2016 criticized by some PNL leaders for passivity and lack of support.
The political parties of both Romanian presidents finished unsatisfactorily in second (Iohanniss PNL) and fifth (Băsescus PMP) places respectively.
The U.S. Ambassador
Hans Klemm: September 2015 U.S. ambassador in Romania; an active promoter of American values and democratic standards; constantly criticized by the PSD leaders for showing „too much involvement."
The PSD Leaders
Liviu Dragnea: July 2015 PSD chairman replacing Victor Ponta; November 2014 claimed that the Americans were opposed to the idea" of Victor Ponta becoming president of Romania (he later denied the allegation in a letter addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest); April 2016 convicted to a 2-year suspended sentence for electoral fraud during the 2012 presidential impeachment referendum.
Gabriela Firea: June 2016 mayor-elect of Bucharest; April 2014 opened a criminal case for threat and blackmail against former president Băsescu; October 2014 as a PSD spokesperson was reported to the National Committee for Combating Discrimination for stating that the childless Klaus Iohannis was unfit for president.
Valeriu Zgonea: July 2012 House (Chamber of Deputies) speaker (PSD); April 2016 criticized by Dragnea for attempts of taking over the PSD leadership after Dragneas conviction in court and for plotting with the American Embassy" for a solution of the issue.
Victor Ponta: July 2012 prime minister involved in the presidential impeachment; April 2016 rumored to be Zgoneas replacement as the House speaker.
The PSD leaders started from vulnerable positions (chairman Liviu Dragnea sentenced for fraud mayor-elect Gabriela Firea reported for discrimination against Iohannis and Victor Ponta losing the 2014 presidential elections) but they built the first chance in winning the November 2016 legislative elections.
Consequences
So far Romania has been a reliable and predictable U.S. ally. Yet the local election results have cast a shadow of doubt over their partnership.
The United States presidential elections of November 8 2016 was won by the Republican businessman Donald Trump while the Romanian legislative elections of December 11 2016 were won again by the left-wing PSD (45.48) and its centrist junior partner ALDE (5.62).
Anyhow President Iohannis mandate will expire in December 2019. On Friday June 9 2017 President Donald Trump welcomed Iohannis to the White House in a working visit during which the Romanian president renewed his commitments for his countrys partnership with the United States and NATO.
Also important for both countries is the fact that Romania will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU between January and June 2019.
NOTE - A version of the article was published previously in AMERICAN THINKER.
Tiberiu Dianu has published several books and a host of articles in law politics and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington DC and can be followed on MEDIUM.
*****
