Democratic Party (Romania)

Infobox_Romanian_Political_Party
party_name = Partidul Democrat
Democratic Party
party_
party_wikicolourid = PD
leader = Emil Boc
senate = Petru Nicolae Ioţcu
chamber = Cristian Rădulescu
foundation = 6 February 1990
ideology = Centrism
international = none
european = European People's Party
ep-group = European People's Party-European Democrats
colours = Orange and blue
(although before 2005 they were blue and white, as it still can be seen in secondary headquarters)
headquarters = Aleea Modrogan, 1
Bucharest
website = [http://www.pd.ro/ www.pd.ro]
[

legend|#a207b0|Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania]

The Democratic Party (Romanian: "Partidul Democrat", PD) was a centre-right party of Romania. In January 2008, it merged with the Liberal Democratic Party to form the Democratic Liberal Party. From 2004 to 2007 it was the smaller party of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance, although according to many Romanian opinion polls it remains the most popular of the two parties. Although he had to formally suspend his leadership of the party when elected president in 2004, the PD is largely associated with Romanian president Traian Băsescu, who was previously leader of the party as well as being a founding member. The PD executive leadership has already stated publicly that it would support Băsescu's candidacy for Romania's next presidential elections. The party has also worked to ensure that its positions in the parliament reflect Băsescu's priorities.

PD traces its roots in the National Salvation Front (FSN), one of the first political parties to emerge after the Romanian Revolution of 1989 which ended the Communist regime. Conflicts broke out between FSN leaders Ion Iliescu and Petre Roman in early 1992, and this led to the separation of the Iliescu wing under the name of Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN), which later became the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

FSN was defeated in the 1992 legislative election (won by FDSN by a landslide) and spent the next four years in opposition. In 1993 they changed name to "Partidul Democrat". In the 1996 legislative election, PD ran jointly with the now-defunct Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR), under the name "Uniunea Social-Democrată" (USD). After having ranked third, they joined a governing coalition with the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) and the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR. From 2000 to 2004 PD has been again in opposition.

In advance of the 2004 elections the party joined forces with the National Liberal Party (PNL) to create the Justice and Truth political alliance ("Dreptate şi Adevăr"), whose main purpose was to fight the all-dominating social-democrats PSD. The alliance managed to win around 32% of the votes in both Chambers, not enough for a majority and about 6% less than PSD, but still better than initially expected.

However, due to their alliances with the National Liberal Party, and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, the Democratic Party was part of the governing coalition until April 2007.

Since December 2004, the leader of PD has been Cluj-Napoca mayor and former Member of Parliament Emil Boc. During the Congress of 2005, the Democratic Party members voted in favor of joining the European People's Party (EPP), thus leaving the Party of European Socialists (PES).

From mid-2005, the PD's relations with the PNL also became strained due to an ongoing open conflict between Băsescu and Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who is also chairman of the PNL. After his presidential victory in 2004, Băsescu appointed Tăriceanu as prime minister.

On April 1 2007, Tăriceanu dismissed the ministers of Democratic Party and formed a minority government. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/02/europe/EU-POL-Romania-New-Cabinet.php "Romania's prime minister names new Cabinet of minority government"] , Associated Press ("International Herald Tribune"), April 2, 2007.]

Policy

The political doctrine of the Democratic Party has shifted from social democracy to centrism and greater conservatism since 2004, combined with economic liberalism and reformism. The party supports a consolidation of the free market and is supportive of Romania's flat tax rate of 16%. The party also supports reforming the Romanian Constitution in order to bring about a decentralisation in administration and give greater power to the eight development regions.

In terms of European politics, the Democratic Party:

*Supports EU enlargement to the Western Balkans
*Supports EU membership for Turkey, as long as it satisfies membership criteria
*Supports the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU
*Supports the Treaty of Lisbon
*Believes that the European Parliament should have greater power
*Opposes a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
*Supports a common EU migration policy
*Supports a common EU defence and security policy
*Supports a partnership between the US and the EU, where the EU is an "equal and critical" partner.

Notable current and former members

* Petre Roman - left and founded the Forţa Democrată (Democratic Force) party;
* Traian Băsescu - elected President of Romania, membership suspended during the mandate.
* Emil Boc - Mayor of Cluj-Napoca
* Adriean Videanu - Mayor of Bucharest
* Radu Berceanu - Senator, former Minister of Transportation, Constructions and Tourism
* Cristian Rădulescu, MP, PD Leader in the Chamber of Deputies
* Gheorghe Albu, MP
* Roberta Anastase, MP
* Petru Filip, MEP, former Mayor of the municipality of Oradea
* Ioan Olteanu, MP
* Cezar Preda, MP
* Paunel Tise
* Alexandru Sassu (left for PSD)
* Bogdan Niculescu Duvăz (left for PSD together with Sassu)
* Daniel Buda
* Victor Babiuc, formerly in charge of the Ministry of Defence (currently member of the National Liberal Party - PNL)
* Radu Vasile, former Prmime Minister of Romania (came from the christian democratic party-PNŢCD)
* Anca Boagiu, former minister of European Integration
* Vasile Blaga, former Minister of Administration and Interior
* Cristian Ilie, MP
* Nati Meir, member from June 2007

Currently, out of 54 members of the PD group in Chamber of Deputies, 14 were not elected on PD electoral list:
*7 came from Greater Romania Party(William Gabriel Brânzǎ, Bogdan Catargiu, Alexandru Ciocâlteu, Dan Grigore, Dănuţ Liga, Nati Meir, Dumitru Puzdrea)
*4 came from Social Democratic Party(Constantin Amarie, Obuf Cătălin Ovidiu Buhǎianu, Gheorghe Sârb, Mugurel Liviu Sârbu,)
*3 came from Conservative Party(Dumitru Becşenescu, Graţiela Denisa Iordache, Constantin Tudor)

References

Bibliography

Ioan, Scurtu ş.a., "Enciclopedia partidelor politice din România 1859-2003", Editura Meronia, Bucureşti, 2003.

Florin-Vasile, Şomlea, "Partidele populare din ţările Uniunii Europene", Editura Cartimpex, Cluj-Napoca, 2007.

External links

*ro icon [http://www.pd.ro/ Democratic Party] official site