Romania’s Democratic-Liberal Party wins the country’s local election (Jun 4, 2008)

Jun 4, 2008 (Romania Report)

The Democratic-Liberal Party (PDL) – member of the European People’s Party Group and the main political force to support the country’s President Traian Basescu – seem to emerge as the winner of this weekend local polls, as compared with 2004, when the Social-Democrats came first.

The Central Electoral Office officially announced today the 41 County Councils’ presidents who have secured their seats following the polls on Sunday.

According to the press release, Social Democrats (PSD) have 16 County Council presidents, Democratic-Liberals (PDL) have 14, National Liberals (PNL) 5, followed by Ethnic Hungarian Democrats (UDMR) with 4, while 1 is a member of the German Forum (FDRG). Therefore, the ‘centre-right’ parties won 24 counties and the Social-Democrats at the ‘left’ won but 17. These are ‘historic’ polls for Romania, as, since the fall of Communist regime, it is the first time when the ‘left’ lost control over the local government. The Democratic-Liberals mostly won in rich counties from Transylvania, Banat, and North-Moldova (but not only there) – counties with dense urban areas.

Mayors who won in the first round of election: Democratic-Liberals get 13 important towns (such as Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Arad, Targu-Mures, Suceava, etc), while National Liberals won 5, and Social Democrats but 4 (Constanta, Buzau, Pitesti, and Targu Jiu).

The Mayor of Bucharest is to be elected in a second ballot, as Democratic-Liberal Vasile Blaga and the Social-Democrat Sorin Oprescu are tied at 30 percent each. As of the Bucharest Municipal Council, the Democratic-Liberals won 36.8 percent, the Social-Democrats won 24.3 percent and the National-Liberals 11.8 percent. George Becali, the leader of the ‘New Generation’ Party (PNG-CD, credited with 5.7 percent), said he supports Blaga as future mayor, and he will fight hard for that. Becali is a flamboyant nationalist politician and the owner of Steaua Bucharest football club.



Romania Report