Polls & Research

After Rift, Democrats Lead in Romania

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Democratic Party (PD) is the most popular political organization in Romania, according to a poll by IMAS. 32 per cent of respondents would vote for the PD in the next parliamentary election.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is second with 17 per cent, followed by the National Liberal Party (PNL) with 15 per cent, the New Generation Party (PNG) with 14 per cent, the Party of Great Romania (PRM) with eight per cent, the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (UDMR) with five per cent, and the Liberal-Democrats (PLD) with four per cent. Support is lower for the National Peasant Christian-Democratic Party (PNT-CD), the National Initiative Party (PIN), and the Conservative Party (PC).

The Alliance for Justice and Truth (DA)—comprising the PD and the PNL—won the November 2004 parliamentary election, securing 132 seats in the 332-member Chamber of Deputies. DA candidate Traian Basescu won the presidential run-off in December 2004 with 51.23 per cent of the vote, defeating PSD contender Adrian Nastase. Basescu later appointed fellow alliance member Calin Popescu Tariceanu as prime minister.

Along with Bulgaria, Romania joined the European Union (EU) on Jan. 1. This year, tensions between Basescu and Tariceanu have increased, and the coalition government has come to a stalemate. Basescu was suspended from the presidency last month over charges of abuse of power in a 322-108 Chamber of Deputies vote, following an initiative developed by PNL members of parliament loyal to Tariceanu. Lawmakers later announced that Basescu's future would be decided in a national referendum, scheduled for May 19.

On May 5, Romania's Constitutional Court approved a motion that will reduce the number of votes required to impeach the president. The current law calls for more than half of Romanians to support the president's suspension in the referendum, making removal virtually impossible. The Constitutional Court lowered the threshold to only a majority of actual voters, following the PSD's proposal.

Polling Data

What party would you support in Romania's next parliamentary election?