Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania

Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania Forumul Democrat al Germanilor din România
President	Klaus Johannis
Chamber leader	Ovidiu Ganţ
Founded	1989 (1989)
European Parliament Group	not represented, EPP-ED (Jan - Nov 2007)
Seats in the Senate	0
Seats in the Chamber	1
Seats in the European Parliament	0
Website
http://www.fdgr.ro
Politics of Romania Political parties Elections

The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (German: Demokratisches Forum der Deutschen in Rumänien, DFDR; Romanian: Forumul Democrat al Germanilor din România, in short Forumul German, abbreviated FDGR) is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania. It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party is popular also with many ethnic Romanians, notably in parts of Transylvania including the major city of Sibiu, where the party has a majority in the city council. The party has an image as independent and politicians of the FDGR, including Sibiu mayor and party leader Klaus Johannis, have earned respect as efficient and uncorrupt administrators. The party has often cooperated with the Liberal Party.

Overview

Under the term "Romanian Germans" (Rumäniendeutsche) are included a wide variety of different regional German-speaking groups, including: Transylvanian Saxons, Banat Swabians, Sathmar Swabians, Bukovina Germans, Transylvanian Landler, Zipser Germans, and Regat Germans (the term Regat refers to what was Romanian territory until World War I). The history of the German minority in Romania, and more specifically, the historical region of Transylvania, spans almost a millennium.

Since the year 2000, the DFDR has won offices on both the local and regional levels. In Sibiu (Hermannstadt), the DFDR's Klaus Johannis has held the office of mayor since 2000, and in 2004 the party gained 60.43% of the vote in elections for the Municipal Council. The DFDR holds 16 out of the 23 seats in the Sibiu Municipal Council, which gives it an absolute majority. In the Sibiu County (around 450,000 residents), the DFDR has 11 of the 33 seats in the County Council, where it is the strongest faction.

The DFDR has also had mayors in office since 2004 in the cities of Mediaş (Mediasch) and Cisnădie (Heltau), as well as in a few villages in the Satu Mare (Sathmar) county.

The DFDR is an associated member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities.

Presidents

• 1990-1992: Thomas Nägler
• 1992-1998: Paul Philippi
• 1998-2001: Wolfgang Wittstock
• Since 2001: Klaus Johannis

Localities with DFDR mayors

Since 2004:

• Ciumeşti (Schamagosch)
• Cisnădie (Heltau)
• Foieni (Fienen)
• Petreşti (Petrifeld)
• Sibiu (Hermannstadt)
• Tiream (Terem)

DFDR politicians

• Martin Bottesch (President of the Sibiu County Council)
• Ovidiu Ganţ (Member of Parliament and MEP for Romania, 2007-2009)
• Klaus Johannis (Mayor of Sibiu)
• Paul Philippi (Theologian and President of DFDR)
• Wolfgang Wittstock (Journalist and former DFDR Member of Parliament)
• Astrid Fodor (Deputy Mayor of Sibiu)

See also

• Romanian ethnic minorities parties

External links

• Romanian Chamber of Deputies
• (German) Haushoher Sieg in Hermannstadt
• (Romanian) Romanian Department of Internal Affairs (some information in English)
• (German) Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung für Rumänien
• (German) Siebenbürgische Zeitung