ISSN: 2560-1601

Vol. 33, No. 1 (RO)

October 2020

Romania political briefing: National Liberals win the local elections in Oana Cristina Popovici

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National Liberals win the local elections in Romania

The results of the local elections in Romania, which took place in the last Sunday in September, brought the highest political score obtained by a right-wing party in the last 30 years. In the country, the major winner is the National Liberal Party (NLP), the actual governing party, while the new mayor is the representative supported by the coalition of the right parties. The decline of the Social Democrat Party (SDP) is obvious as compared to 2016, but not as accentuated as expected given the offensive over the last year and a half. The parties have started the preparations for an intense autumn, which should end with the elections for the Parliament. The SDP has already announced a potential project aimed at postponing the parliamentary elections probably until March 2021, on the background of the sanitary crisis and the increasing number of infections with Covid-19.

Romania saw a large mobilization for the elections for mayors in each locality, and for the local and county councils in the last Sunday in September, despite pandemics. Slightly over 46% of the total number of citizens expressed their vote, representing over 8.4 million persons. The percentage was high enough given the spread of pandemics and the daily increase in the number of infections starting with August, being only by almost two percent lower than in the 2016 local elections. In rural areas, 4.5 million persons voted, with 600,000 more voters than in urban areas, which gathered 3.9 million voters. The lowest presence in the country was registered in Bucharest, reaching almost 37%, but the turnout was almost four percent higher than in the 2016 elections.

The results of the elections indicate that the National Liberal Party (NLP) has won the local elections with 34% of the votes, followed by the Social Democrat Party (SDP) with 30% and the USR (Save Romania Union)-PLUS alliance with 13%. In addition, NLP managed to obtain the lead of 17 county councils, an important leap from only eight following the last elections, while SDP now controls 20. NLP scored important wins in traditionally SDP- dominated regions. Thus, NLP has obtained the best score in recent years in the 2020 local elections. The NLP leaders consider that the political score, of 34% at the county councils, is the highest political score obtained by the NLP, or by another right-wing party in the last 30 years. The results were somehow expected, following the conclusions of the recent pools and the tendency imposed since the elections in May 2019 and the elections

1 for the President at the end of last year. Similar results for NLP are envisaged for the elections for the Romanian Parliament, which should be held in December, destabilizing thus the majority position that SDP holds at this moment in the Parliament. However, the events during this autumn will be decisive in this regard. A fierce battle was for the city hall in Bucharest, won by Nicusor Dan, the representative of right parties, against Gabriela Firea, the actual mayor representing SDP. On the other hand, SDP leaders are satisfied with the results, stating that the party managed in a short time and through a reconstruction program to improve a score of 20% in the pools to over 30% following the elections. However, their score is significantly lower than in 2016.

Other analysts consider that although NLP became the first party in Romania, it could not achieve all its objectives, while SDP remains the most important party at the level of county councils, with a spectacular withstanding despite the offensive over the last year and a half. Thus, in the view of the elections for the Parliament, it will remain a strong party. USR-PLUS had a modest result in the country, but with remarkable wins in several important cities, signalling that in urban areas there is still a more demanding electorate waiting for mayors to be not only efficient but also moral. For example, in Timisoara, the USR candidate for the city hall won the local elections in front of the mayor who held this position in the last eight years. The elected mayor is a German citizen. However, USR-PLUS have low chances for having a better score in the elections for the Parliament, since it does not have enough people in the territory but, most likely, without USR-PLUS it will not be possible to form a majority.

President Iohannis is of the opinion that the victory in the local elections belongs to the Romanian democracy, pointing out that it was also a victory of the right, and stated that voted for common sense, for respect for the citizen and for democracy. The vote and the success of NLP and USR suggest that local administration must be rebuilt on a series of pillars such as transparency, integrity, professionalism. Romanians have shown that they are increasingly involved in the life of communities. The head of state warned, however, that it is only a stage victory, which should be confirmed in the Parliament. He also stated that the successful parties will not have an easy mission, because people's expectations are very high.

A special feature of these local elections resides in the large participation of those up to 40 years old, as almost two million young people voted. According to sociologists, such a tendency is strongly supporting by the desire for change, one of the main sources of discontent being the diverse social protection measures which use money that should be rather invested. According to psychologists, most young people want the renewal of the political class, regardless of party, meaning new people with new ideas. An increasing role during the elections

2 was attributed to students, more prone to show a civic spirit and interest on good administration and environmental issues, which goes hand in hand with their stronger involvement in the non- governmental organisations promoting such topics. On the other hand, some other analysts point that the large percentage of young people to vote is that the elderly electorate stayed at home because of the pandemic.

Several incidents have affected the electoral process especially in Bucharest. There were accusations of electoral fraud and, in some cases, it was asked for the recount of the vote and even for the annulment of the elections and the retake of the electoral process. The Electoral Office of District 5 in Bucharest decided to recount the votes, after the notifications made by NLP and USR. For District 1, SDP members were demanding the cancellation and reorganization of the elections, but the request was rejected by the Electoral Central Office. However, the side-effect of such a situation is the decrease of citizens’ confidence in the whole electoral process and in democracy itself, which will have consequences in the long run. The situations were clarified by the Electoral Offices, but it is obvious that the electoral campaign and the fierce fight for the general elections was already opened.

The parties have to prepare now for an intense autumn, which should end with the elections for the Parliament on the 6th of December. However, following a law adopted in July by the SDP majority in the Parliament, the date of this year's parliamentary elections is established by the Parliament, and not by the Government, as has happened in the last 30 years. According to the previous legislation, the Government sets the date of the elections, which is made public at least 90 days before the voting day. Under the new auspices, the Social Democrat leader already claimed that it is possible that a project aimed at postponing the parliamentary elections on December 6 to be submitted to Parliament. According to President Iohannis, the actual legislative norm could lead to the situation in which the Parliament can set the date of the elections arbitrarily, without any limitation and without a sanction, if it indirectly extends the current mandate through the scheduled date. President has rejected the proposal to postpone the date of the parliamentary elections until March 2021, as proposed by a member of the Parliament who invoked health safety reasons. The President drew attention to the fact that the Parliament can no longer adopt organic laws after December 20, when the mandate of those current elected ends. In fact, the parties whose influence has deteriorated in the meantime are suspected to try to preserve their places in the Parliament as much as possible, with chances of improving their public image.

The NLP established as objective to win the parliamentary elections, at a score as high as possible that would allow to implement its economic recovery program, the public investment

3 program, the development and modernization program of Romania. In the meantime, the Prime Minister is preparing the first governmental reshuffle, almost a year after taking power in Romania. Several NLP ministers have run in the local elections. The winners must occupy their public positions and new ministers should replace them. It is, for example, the case of the minister of the environment.

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