Radio România Internațional

Tag: parliamentary election

Economic effects of political instability

The deadlock related to the establishment of a parliamentary majority to propose a prime minister and, therefore, the impossibility of forming a new Government, is having acute effects on the economy. On Thursday, the Bucharest Stock Exchange closed in the red. The BET index, which includes the 20 most traded companies, went down by 2%, and the BET-Plus, which shows the evolution of the 43 most liquid shares, decreased by 1.97%. The benchmark index for the return on investment funds or the one that measures the evolution of the 10 energy and utility companies also reported a decline. Citing political uncertainty in Romania, this week Fitch rating agency downgraded the country’s outlook from stable to negative, the lowest possible rating. This translates into the increase in the price of Romania’s international loans, which makes economists even discuss the need for Bucharest to resort, possibly, to the expertise of the International Monetary Fund, known for its austerity policies.

The economy was already struggling in the absence of political instability. Budget and current account deficits are very high, inflation continues to financially burden people, economic growth is experiencing a significant slowdown, and public debt has exceeded 50% of the GDP and continues to grow. If political instability continues, the economy may face other problems, Professor Mircea Coşea warns, arguing that political decision-makers are basically sabotaging their own economy:

“What are the immediate consequences? The collapse of the Stock Exchange. The Stock Exchange is the most important indicator concerning the evolution of the economy. It reported a loss of 1 billion or so EUR in a matter of minutes. Effects could manifest themselves in the field of the exchange rate as well, as the Leu could have problems. Here, the National Bank will make an effort, as it has always done, to keep the national currency afloat, but it cannot do so indefinitely. It is a very complicated context. We will have a stagnation of investors’ interest in coming to Romania and a freezing of foreign investors’ projects during this period of political instability. And we will have much stricter monitoring from the European Union with regard to what is happening in the fiscal and budget field, considering that we have signed a fiscal program with the EU to remedy the deficit for 7 years. In the context where we face major delays with the implementation of Recovery and Resilience benchmarks, with a year and a half left to implement them, it is possible that absorbing money from this mechanism could also hit certain obstacles”.

In other words, Mircea Coșea says, a country that is not stable is an unpredictable country. Unpredictability is the greatest difficulty that a business plan can encounter, including at national level. (VP)

20 December 2024
The structure of the new Parliament

2024 saw local, European, parliamentary and presidential elections in Romania, and the young democratic state did not handle the election marathon well. On December 6, just two days before the second round of the presidential election, the Constitutional Court annulled the election, claiming the electoral process was encroached upon. According to the Court, the freely expressed nature of the vote was violated by a campaign seeking to disinform voters, one where independent candidate Călin Georgescu, the winner of the first round of the presidential election, benefited from aggressive promotion, circumvented national electoral legislation, by abusing social media platform algorithms and the lack of specific electoral advertising regulations.

The victory in the first round of a pro-Russian extremist strengthened the entire self-proclaimed sovereigntist movement. Sovereigntist is the term widely adopted by ultranationalist parties, often with xenophobic and anti-Semitic, populist views, voicing fierce criticism against the EU and NATO, and spreading conspiracy theories. Three representatives of this movement, the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), SOS Romania and POT (The Young People’s Party) entered Parliament, the first with a very good score, following the December 1 parliamentary election, held just a week after the first round of the presidential election. For this very reason, DREPT party referred the election to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, challenging its fair organization. DREPT claimed that, throughout the November election campaign, foreign interference, illegal financing, neo-legionnaire propaganda and the influence of various underworld crime figures had been officially documented. However, the Court rejected its request to annul the parliamentary election, which means that, on December 21, Romania will have a new Parliament.

The Social-Democratic Party (PSD, currently part of a ruling coalition with the National Liberal Party – PNL), grabbed the largest number of MP seats, 120, followed by AUR, with 93 and PNL, with 71. The fourth-largest parliamentary party will be USR – the Save Romania Union, with 59 elected representatives. The SOS România party, will be represented by 40 MPs, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians (UDMR) and POT, each by 31. The Chamber of Deputies also includes the national minorities group, which holds 19 seats. Two more parliamentary seats will be assigned. Two senators and four deputies will represent Romanians in the diaspora in Parliament. Given the fragmented legislature, a stable majority is needed to form a government, ideally by the end of this year.

Inevitably, there will be a ruling coalition, whose urgent mission is to set the calendar for the presidential election. The pro-Europeans, namely PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR, had agreed to form a common front against extremism, but nothing is certain after the cancellation of the presidential election. President Klaus Iohannis is expected to remain in office until the new president is sworn in next year, and many have been quick to analyze his 10-year presidential mandate. (VP)

9 December 2024
October 18, 2024

ELECTION – October 17 was the deadline for political parties to submit their lists of candidates for the parliamentary election, slated for December 1. 21 parties have enrolled in the race. To be represented in Parliament, they must secure a minimum of 5% of the total number of votes.

EUROPEAN COUNCIL – On the sidelines of the European Council meeting in Brussels, Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has called on the EU to convey a strong message of support for Moldova’s EU integration process, particularly ahead of this Sunday’s presidential election in Moldova, condemning Moscow’s interference and destabilization attempts. The list of topics on the two-day summit’s agenda includes the war in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, EU competitiveness, migration, as well as prospects on Georgia, supporting the multilateral system and international rules-based order and energy tariffs. President Iohannis underlined the importance of ensuring affordable energy prices, the need to boost connectivity and do away with structural gridlocks at the level of energy transport networks.

MOLDOVA – 3.3 million voters are expected to hit the polls on October 20 in the Republic of Moldova for a historic ballot: a presidential election and a referendum on Moldova’s EU accession. According to the Central Election Commission, some 2,219 polls have been set up, and for the first time the ballots are printed in Romanian and 5 minority languages: Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Găgăuz, Russian and Romani. 231 stations are open in 37 countries, 60 in Italy, 26 in Germany, 20 in France and 17 in Great Britain. Moldovans can also vote in one of the 16 stations open in Romania, the same as in the United States. For security reasons, only two stations will be available in Russia, both in Moscow. 2 stations will be made available in Ukraine, in Kyiv and Odesa. The incumbent president, Maia Sandu, is favorite to win the presidential election, with approximately 29.5% of voters’ choice. A former World Bank official, Sandu won her first term in November 2020, capitalizing on her growing approval rating as an anti-corruption reformer with a pro-European governing program. Polls also show that over 54% of Moldovan citizens support the idea of introducing EU accession in the country’s Constitution. Since the collapse of the USSR, the Republic of Moldova has constantly oscillated between a pro-Western and a pro-European orientation.

ROME FILM FEST – Held until October 28, the Film Festival in Rome this year also includes a Romanian production: the documentary “Nasty” delving into the life and career of Romanian tennis player Ilie Năstase, produced by Tudor Giurgiu in cooperation with Cristian Pascariu and Tudor D. Popescu. Having reached its 19^th edition, Rome Film Fest celebrates the latest international productions and young European filmmakers. The list of special guests this year includes American director Fancis Ford Coppola and actors Johnny Depp and Viggo Mortensen. Filmmakers Tudor Giurgiu and Cristian Pascariu will travel to Rome for the event and will meet with the public on October 21 and 22 for the two film screening events. Joining them will be the legendary ATP manager and tennis lobbyist Vittorio Slemi, as well as one of the most reputed sports journalists in Italy, Ubaldo Scanagatta. Both are featured in “Nasty”, speaking about the glory days of the Romanian player.

THEATRE FESTIVAL – The National Theatre Festival kicks off in Bucharest today. The 34^th edition is held this year under the motto “The Drama of the Possible”. Until October 28, theatre afficionados will be able to attend performances that express “possibilities”, organizers say. Over 30 shows from Bucharest and other cities are included on the festival’s agenda, including “The Anthology of Disappearance”, written and directed by Radu Afrim, “The Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare, directed by Andrei Șerban, or Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” directed by Thomas Ostermeier. Five plays produced by theatre companies from Germany, Ireland, Poland and Belgium will also be staged. The National Film Festival is organized by the Theatre Union of Romania (UNITER) and funded by the Ministry of Culture.

MEN’S HANDBALL – Romania’s handball champions, Dinamo Bucharest, lost 35-32 to Paris Saint-Germain of France on Thursday away from home, in a Group A fixture in the men’s Champions League. This is the second consecutive defeat for Dinamo after three straight wins. The team from Bucharest will next play Sporting Lisbon of Portugal at home on October 23. Ranking first in the group tables is Sporting Lisbon with 9 points, followed by Veszprém HC of Hungary with 8 points, Paris Saint-Germain Handball of France with 8 points, Füchse Berlin of Germany with 6 points, Dinamo Bucharest with 6 points, Orlen Wisla Plock of Poland with 2 points, Eurofarm Pelister of North Macedonia with 1 point, and Fredericia Håndbold Klub of Denmark with 0 points. (VP)

18 October 2024
December 11, 2020

COVID-19 – In its session
today the Government decided to extend the state of alert by another 30 days
starting December 14. State Secretary Raed Arafat said all restrictions remain
in place, including the nighttime curfew. One new measure will be introduced,
regarding cable transport operators in ski resorts. Cable transport facilities
will remain open, although the Government intends to avoid overcrowding in
order to limit the spread of the virus. Therefore aerial trams with 20 seats
will only carry 10 people. Raed Arafat called on Romanians to limit their
visits, avoid going caroling or to New Year’s Eve parties during the winter
holidays. 545 thousand Romanians got infected with COVID-19 since the start of
the outbreak, of whom 80% have recovered. So far over 13,100 people have died
to the virus. 6,460 new infections were reported on Friday, most case being
signaled in Bucharest. Some 1,300 patients are in intensive care.

TALKS – President Klaus
Iohannis on Monday invited political parties to consultations with a view to
designating the new Prime Minister. Taking part in consultations will be the
Social-Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union -
PLUS Alliance, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians and the Democratic Union
of Ethnic Hungarians. The Social-Democrats have nominated Prof. Alexandru
Rafila, Romania’s representative at the WHO, whom they want to lead either a
Social-Democratic Cabinet, or a technocratic government. The Liberals, in turn,
have nominated Florin Cîţu, the current Finance Minister and say they will hold
official talks with a view to forming a majority in Parliament with the Save
Romania Union – PLUS Alliance and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
starting Saturday.

INFLATION – The annual
inflation rate went down to 2.1% in November, from 2.2% in October, considering
foodstuffs, non-essential products and services registered price hikes, the
National Statistics Institute announced on Friday. In its inflation report, the
National Bank of Romania has estimated a 2.1% inflation rate for the end of
2020, down by 0.6% compared to its previous forecast.

INTERNET USAGE – Over 5.3 billion
Gigabytes of Internet were used in Romania in the first half of 2020, of which
90% in home connections. A report of the National Authority for Management and
Regulation in Communications in Romania (ANCOM) reveals that total broadband
traffic registered a major increase in the first six months of the year as an
effect of the coronacrisis, and went up by 33% compared to the previous
semester, the biggest increase since 2015. At the same, mobile data usage
reported a 12% increase, the lowest reported so far. During the state of
emergency, Internet traffic moved to broadband connections, with remote work
and online teaching becoming the norm. People staying at home also connected to
WI-FI home connections for accessing the Internet, the President of the
Authority, Eduard Lovin, explained.

EUROPEAN COUNCIL – At the European
Council meeting in Brussels, EU leaders, including Romania’s President Klaus
Iohannis, adopted the Union’s seven-year budget and the post-pandemic recovery
package, worth €1.8 trillion, after Poland and Hungary initially refused to
vote in favor due to disbursements being tied to the observance of the rule of
law. From the upcoming EU budget, Romania will receive €46.7 billion for
various sectors, such as agriculture, cohesion, rural development,
infrastructure or transports. From the recovery package, Romania will get €33.5
billion in grants and loans. Another topic on the meeting’s agenda is the
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The Romanian
President called for the creation of a flexible framework allowing all Member
States, irrespective of their development, to effectively meet climate change
goals. EU leaders also agreed to sanction Turkey for its aggressions in the
Mediterranean Sea against Greece and Cyprus.

SPORTS – Romania’s women’s
handball team lost 25-20 to Croatia on Thursday in its first game in the second
main group at the European Handball Championship in Denmark. Romania is bottom
of the group tables with zero points and has lost all chances of qualifying to
the semi-finals. Romania will play two more games, against Hungary and the
defending world champions, the Netherlands. In news from football, Romania’s
champions CFR Cluj failed to qualify to the Europa League knock-out phase after
losing 2-1 away from home to Young Boys Berne of Switzerland. CFR Cluj ranked 3rd,
after AS Rome, in top position, and Young Boys in runner-up position. (V.
Palcu)

11 December 2020
December 9, 2020

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – On Wednesday another 7,365 new COVID-19 infections and 161 related
deaths were announced. 1,271 people are in intensive care. Most new cases were
reported in the capital-city Bucharest, where the infection rate has reached
6.5 per thousand inhabitants. The total number of infections has exceeded 532
thousand. Nearly 80% of people infected have recovered. The national death toll
has reached 12,821. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said the first batch of
the 3 million COVID-19 ordered tests will be arriving within the week. Days
from now the authorities are also expecting the delivery of the 300 ventilators
for intensive care units.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The global number of infections has exceeded 68.5
million while over 1.5 million people have died to the virus since the start of
the outbreak, the latest worldometers.info update reveals. Over 47 million
people around the world have recovered. The United States is the most affected
country, with over 15.5 million infections and at least 293 thousand people dead.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive decree, ensuring that
American citizens will be the first to be administered anti-COVID-19 vaccines
developed by American pharmaceutical companies. American health experts have
accused the President’s unethical decision, according to which the rest of the
world will have to mainly rely on European-based drug manufacturers. Meanwhile,
the anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign started in Great Britain, which is the
first country in the world to approve the vaccine developed by Pfizer. People
over 80 years old and health workers will be the first to receive the vaccine,
which experts say has a 95% efficiency. Over 62 thousand people have died in
Great Britain to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

NEGOTIATION
– As the vote count for Sunday’s parliamentary election is drawing to a close,
negotiations are starting over the structure of the new Government. The
center-right political parties are trying to reach consensus over forming a
majority in Parliament, ahead of consultations with President Klaus Iohannis.
The Liberal Party, currently in power, the party that grabbed the second
highest number of votes on December 6, claims they can make up a Parliament
majority with the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance and the Democratic Union
of Ethnic Hungarians. Party officials estimate they can rely on a comfortable
majority of 244 MPs, adding to which will be representatives of national
minorities. The three center-right parties must now agree on a governing
program and distribute the 16 Ministries among themselves. On the other hand,
the Social-Democratic Party has also expressed its willingness to govern,
considering it grabbed the highest number of votes in the election. The
Social-Democrats said they are entitled to nominate the Prime Minister, based
on the result in the election, and thus will not be voting for a Liberal
Cabinet. The Social-Democrats will be proposing Dr. Alexandru Rafila, a WHO
expert, for the position of Prime Minister. The Social-Democratic Party is
willing to accept two options: either a minority Government led by the
Social-Democratic Party, or a technocratic Government led by a Social-Democrat
Prime Minister. For the first time in the history of Romania, Parliament will
also include the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, a recently founded
far-right party, which grabbed the fourth-highest number of votes in the
parliamentary election.

BREXIT -
Over 670 thousand Romanians have filed for residence rights in the United
Kingdom, considering immigration rules will change for European citizens
arriving in this country starting January 2021. According to data provided by
an association defending the interests of European citizens in the UK, citizens
from Poland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and France also filed a large number of
such applications. Over 3.9 million applications were filed until September,
59% of applicants having received the status of permanent resident. This status
is granted to people who can provide proof of 5 years’ continuous residence on
British territory, allowing them to continue to work and receive social welfare
after Brexit.

FOOTBALL -
The Romanian Football Federation has taken note of the incident reported in the
Champions League match pitting PSG of France against Istanbul Basaksehir. The
match was suspended after Romanian Sebastian Colţescu, the fourth official
delegated for that match, used a racist term to describe the assistant manager
of the Turkish club, Cameroonian Pierre Achille Webo, whom the central referee,
Romanian Ovidiu Haţegan, showed a red booking. Right after the incident the
technical staff of the Turkish club and all its players walked off the pitch on
minute 16. The Union of European Football Association announced it will launch
a comprehensive investigation, while the match, counting towards Champions
League Group H, will be resumed tonight with new referees. In a post on its
website, the Romanian Football Federation firmly distanced itself from any
racist or xenophobic action or statement. (V. Palcu)

9 December 2020
November 20, 2016 UPDATE

ELECTIONS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has made public its “Guidelines for Romanian voters abroad, intended for the Romanian citizens who live abroad and want to cast their ballots in the December 11 parliamentary election. The guidelines include information on the various categories of eligible voters, the voting process, the opening hours of polling stations, the documents required in order to be able to vote and instructions regarding the vote by mail procedure. The Romanian citizens in the diaspora who have not chosen to vote by mail will be able to choose from among the 417 polling stations abroad. The largest number of polling stations set up abroad are in Italy (70), and Spain (50), while another 35 will be opened in the Republic of Moldova. There are 111 polling stations more than in the parliamentary elections of 2012 and 123 more than in the presidential election of 2014. Two years ago, thousands of Romanians living abroad were unable to vote because of the flawed organisation of the presidential election.

BOOK FAIR – The Goncourt – Romanian Student Choice Award went this year to the novel “Láutre quon adorait by the French author Catherine Cusset. The novel was chosen by 7 juries made up by Francophone students from 7 Romanian cities, and the announcement came as part of the Gaudeamus International Book and Education Fair organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania. The book will be translated into Romanian, and Catherine Cusset will be invited to give addresses in Romania. The Gaudeamus Book Fair came to a close on Sunday, with the award of this 23rd editions trophies. Hundreds of publishers took part in the fair, which comprised more than 850 events, from meetings with writers, book launches and debates, to performances and workshops. This years guest of honour was China, and next year the USA will be the special guest of the Gaudeamus Fair.

REMEMBRANCE DAY – Several events were organised in Romania today to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, commemorated on the third Sunday of November every year, at the initiative of the UN. Last year nearly 1,900 people died and over 9,000 others were severely injured in road traffic accidents, the Romanian Police has reported. According to statistics, 1 in 5 car crashes takes place around the capital city Bucharest, with Covasna County reporting the smallest number of accidents. Most incidents involve a vehicle and a pedestrian, and 8 out of 10 have been reported in dry weather. The latest European report indicates that Romania ranks second in the EU, after Latvia, in terms of the number of deaths in road traffic accidents.

YIDDISH FESTIVAL – The TES FEST kicked off in Bucharest on Sunday, and is scheduled to come to a close next Sunday. The event is intended to showcase and promote the Yiddish culture. Taking part in the festival are professional theatre companies and klezmer bands from Romania, the USA, Israel, France and Poland. Book launches and workshops will also be organised as part of the event. This first edition of TES FEST is organised by the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest, which celebrates 140 years since the establishment of the first professional Yiddish theatre in the world, in the north-eastern Romanian city of Iaşi, in 1876, by writer and artist Avram Goldfaden. According to the organisers, the festival targets the general public of all ages, and aims to contribute to the understanding and acceptance of different cultures.

GERMANY – The Conservative Angela Merkel Sunday announced her fellow Christian-Democratic Union members that she intended to run for a new term in office as head of the party, and, in the autumn of 2017, for a fourth term as Chancellor of Germany, news agencies report. If she wins, Angela Merkel, 62, in office for 11 years, would break the record held by the post-war Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, in power for 14 years, and would equal her political mentor, Helmut Kohl – 16 years. According to an opinion poll made public on Sunday, 55% of the Germans want Angela Merkel to stay as Chancellor. Supporters see Merkel as a stabilising element in Europe, amid the uncertainties triggered by the UK vote to leave the Union and Donald Trumps winning the presidential election in the USA.

VATICAN – Pope Francis Sunday concluded the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, and in the presence of over 100,000 believers in Vatican he closed the Holy Door of St Peters Basilica opened at the beginning of the event one year ago. The Jubilee of Mercy or the Holy Year, one of the most important events initiated by Pope Francis, is an initiative intended to reflect the need for the Catholic Church to be more open. According to the Vaticans estimates, more than 20 million people travelled to Rome during the Jubilee year.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 November 2016
November 20, 2016

ELECTIONS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has made public its “Guidelines for Romanian voters abroad, intended for the Romanian citizens who live abroad and want to cast their ballots in the December 11 parliamentary election. The guidelines include information on the various categories of eligible voters, the voting process, the opening hours of polling stations, the documents required in order to be able to vote and instructions regarding the vote by mail procedure. The Romanian citizens in the diaspora who have not chosen to vote by mail will be able to choose from among the 417 polling stations abroad. The largest number of polling stations set up abroad are in Italy (70), and Spain (50), while another 35 will be opened in the Republic of Moldova. There are 111 polling stations more than in the parliamentary elections of 2012 and 123 more than in the presidential election of 2014. Two years ago, thousands of Romanians living abroad were unable to vote because of the flawed organisation of the presidential election.

BOOK FAIR – The Gaudeamus International Book and Education Fair, organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania, comes to an end today, when the trophies of the 23rd edition are also presented. This years guest of honour is China. Hundreds of publishers have taken part in Gaudeamus, which featured over 850 events, from book launches to meetings with authors, debates, recitals and workshops. The highlights of the Fair have included so far volumes devoted to the Royal House of Romania, and events devoted to the Romanian film industry, attended by directors Cristian Mungiu and Radu Jude. The USA will be the guest of honour in next years Fair.

REMEMBRANCE DAY – Several events are organised in Romania today to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, commemorated on the third Sunday of November every year, at the initiative of the UN. Last year nearly 1,900 people died and over 9,000 others were severely injured in road traffic accidents, the Romanian Police has reported. According to statistics, 1 in 5 car crashes takes place around the capital city Bucharest, with Covasna County reporting the smallest number of accidents. Most incidents involve a vehicle and a pedestrian, and 8 out of 10 have been reported in dry weather. The latest European report indicates that Romania ranks second in the EU, after Latvia, in terms of the number of deaths in road traffic accidents.

YIDDISH FESTIVAL – The TES FEST kicks off in Bucharest today, and is scheduled to come to a close next Sunday. The event is intended to showcase and promote the Yiddish culture. Taking part in the festival are professional theatre companies and klezmer bands from Romania, the USA, Israel, France and Poland. Book launches and workshops will also be organised as part of the event. This first edition of TES FEST is organised by the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest, which celebrates 140 years since the establishment of the first professional Yiddish theatre in the world, in the north-eastern Romanian city of Iaşi, in 1876, by writer and artist Avram Goldfaden. According to the organisers, the festival targets the general public of all ages, and aims to contribute to the understanding and acceptance of different cultures.

RAIL CRASH – More than 100 people died in India as the Indore-Patna express train derailed on Saturday night, the Uttar Pradesh state police announced. Another 150 people were injured, the police say. The causes of the tragedy, which occurred while most passengers were asleep, are yet to be identified. AFP mentions that the Indian railway network, one of the largest in the world, has major safety problems, but remains the main means of transportation in the country. The worst railway accident in India was in 1981, when 800 people died after a train fell into a river.

RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team Saturday night defeated Canada, 21-16, in a test match played on the ”Arcul de Triumf” stadium in Bucharest. It was the first match between the two teams since the memorable performance at the 2015 World Cup, when the Romanian team managed the greatest reversal of fortune in the history of that competition, winning 17-15 after having been led 0-15. Next Saturday, in the last test match of the year, Romania takes on Uruguay, on the same stadium in Bucharest.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 November 2016
Getting Ready for Election Campaign

November 11th is the official start of the election campaign in Romania. Nearly 6,500 candidates will be competing for the 466 MP seats, more precisely 134 seats in the Senate, 308 in the Chamber of Deputies and another 18 seats for the representatives of ethnic minorities. 2 Senators and 4 Deputies will also represent the diaspora. Most candidates come from the parties with the highest chances of making it into Parliament: the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the People’s Movement Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and Save Romania Union.

In the run-up to the election campaign, the Liberals launched their candidates and their campaign slogan, “Romania, forward,” in a large-scale rally downtown Bucharest on Sunday. The incumbent PM Dacian Ciolos also attended the meeting. He does not run in this election, nor is he a member of any political party, but he will have the Liberals’ support to keep his position after the elections.

Dacian Ciolos, who is also backed by Save Romania Union, pleaded for a change in the political class and the general outlook on politics: “You should think about how each of us can change ourselves, so that we may be able to demand that our leaders change as well, be more honest, more straightforward and more commonsensical. I believe change begins with ourselves.”

The Social Democrats read the Liberals’ message as an attack, and their leader, Liviu Dragnea, once again ruled out a prospective government headed by Dacian Ciolos. The technocratic PM was also criticized by the ex-president Traian Basescu, who believes that, had Dacian Ciolos kept his political independence, he would have been a more convincing help for the Liberal Party. However, Basescu says, by taking part in the Liberal rally Dacian Ciolos has abandoned his political non-involvement.

Traian Basescu’s party, People’s Movement Party, also presented its candidates on Sunday. The party aims to become the third-largest political group in the country, with Traian Basescu as prime minister. Traian Basescu: “Our political goal, which we affirm openly, is the unity of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. This will be possible when Romania proves to the Moldovan citizens that it is better for us to stay together, than live in two separate states.”

As for the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, it will support any government, regardless of its political views, as long as it contributes to the development of Transylvania, where most of its voters are concentrated. The president of this party, Kelemen Hunor: “What we want after the 2016 election is a formula able to reform the Romanian society, to secure a much calmer and more balanced climate in terms of societal development and, of course, we would like to play a part in this change.”

The make-up of the new government will be decided in polling stations on December 11, regardless of what politicians wish for. All they have to do is convince voters that they are the best choices for the new Parliament.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

7 November 2016