Romanian politics since 1989
edit- 2020 Romanian legislative election
- 2019 Romanian presidential election - Klaus Iohannis Viorica Dăncilă
- 2019 Romanian referendum (prohibition of amnesties and judicial ordinances: 6 million "Yes" votes)
- 2019 European Parliament election in Romania
- 2018 Romanian constitutional referendum (two-sex marriage amendment: below threshold)
- 2016 Romanian legislative election Liviu Dragnea
- 2014 Romanian presidential election - Klaus Iohannis Victor Ponta
- ACL (Alianța PNL-PDL)
- 2012 Romanian legislative election
- USL (PSD + PNL-PC)
- ARD (PDL + PNȚ-CD + ...) Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu
- 2012 Romanian presidential impeachment referendum (invalid "Yes" vote of over 7 million)
- 2011: PP-DD Dan Diaconescu
- 2010: UPNR Gabriel Oprea
- 2009 Romanian presidential election - Traian Băsescu Mircea Geoană Crin Antonescu
- 2009 Romanian parliamentary reform referendum (300-MP unicameral body: almost 7 million "Yes" votes, never enforced)
- 2008 Romanian legislative election - Theodor Stolojan Emil Boc (Boc Cabinets: PDL + PSD, then minority PDL)
- 2007 Romanian electoral system referendum (two-round system and single-member districts: almost 4 million "Yes" votes, invalid)
- 2007 Romanian presidential impeachment referendum (valid vote of over 6 million "No's")
- 2007: Tăriceanu II Cabinet without PD ministers
- 2007 EU accession
- 2006: PLD (breakaway from Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu's PNL)
- 2005: PD switches its European affiliation from PES to EPP
- 2004 NATO accession (following the 2007 Prague summit)
- 2004: Băsescu asks for snap legislative elections, nominates meanwhile Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, later regrets
- 2004 Romanian general election - Traian Băsescu Adrian Năstase
- 2004 NATO accession (following the 2002 Prague summit)
- 2003 Romanian constitutional referendum
old electoral system:
- 2000 Romanian general election Ion Iliescu Corneliu Vadim Tudor (Adrian Năstase)
- PDSR
- PRM
- 1996 Romanian general election Emil Constantinescu
- CDR
- 1992 Romanian general election
- FDSN
- 1991 Romanian constitutional referendum
- 1990 Romanian general election Ion Iliescu
- FSN
- 1989 Romanian Revolution
affairs:
- List of corruption scandals in Romania
- Apparent suicide of Prosecutor Cristian Panait (suspected: Adrian Năstase, Victor Ponta)
- Monica Macovei (1959–),
- judicial career: 1983–1997: prosecutor (is alleged by opponents to have issued blank search warrants for Securitate); 1997: Eisenhower Exchange Fellow, 1997–2004: lawyer with the Bucharest Bar, 2001–2004: President of the APADOR-CH (reform & human rights), expert for the OSI, ECHR, etc., 2002: publicly defends a liberal defendant charged of libel by PSD leader and PM Adrian Năstase
- in government: 12/2004: appointed Justice Minister, wants to "fight corruption", disbands the General Directorate for Protection and Anti-corruption (2006), reinvigorates the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) which starts a slew of indictments against prominent politicians, such as Adrian Năstase (2 years in jail); 10/2006: appoints 33-year-old Laura Kövesi as Prosecutor General; 2/2007: Senate motion titled "Lying - Macovei's Way of Justice" receives 81 votes out of 137; but she is defended by Constitutional court, President, PM, EU commissioners; 4/2007: new cabinet, with PD ministers and PD-backed Macovei out
- later: 2007–2009: the British Foreign Office finances her tenure as Anti-Corruption Advisor to the Prime Minister of Macedonia; 2009: joins PD-L and is elected as an MEP for Romania, becoming member of the CONT, LIBE, CRIM, AFET committees (sits with the EPP), tours the world; 2014: is reelected for PD-L, but then resigns from PD-L because of its merger into PNL; she runs for President, receives 4.44% (15% among diaspora, 12% in Bucharest), then sets up M10 party; 2015: joins ECR; 12/2018: resigns from M-10
- Laura Codruța Kövesi (1973–)
- early career: 1995–1999: Prosecutor in Sibiu; 2003(?)–2012: DIICOT director in Sibiu
- 10/2006: appointed Prosecutor General of Romania by Monica Macovei; with the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) she prosecutes many prominent politicians (PSD Mayor of Bucharest Sorin Oprescu, PSD PM Adrian Năstase), with a 90% conviction rate; 2007–2008: earns her first medals, from the US Secret Service, and McAfee; 2018: PSD-created "Department for Investigating Judicial Offences" investigates her tenure and she is accused of conspiracy; 6/2019: the High Court of Cassation considers her innocent
- Daniel Morar
- appointed in 2005 by President Băsescu Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), working with Justice Minister Macovei
- "Since September 2001, he has indicted nine deputies, three Secretaries of State and former Prime Minister Adrian Năstase."
- appointed in 2013 by President Băsescu for 9 years to the Constitutional Court of Romania
- Liviu Dragnea, led the PSD for over 3 years, until he was jailed on 27 May 2019 for 3 years and 6 months (up until New Year 2023) "for abuse of public office and forgery". Was freed early on 15 July 2021, shortly starting a new party, called Alliance for the Fatherland.
- Băsescu vs Media Moguls
- Media mogul Sorin Ovidiu Vântu (Realitatea-Cațavencu, founded in 2006, sold in 2011), sentenced to prison in 2005, 2012, 2016, enemy of Băsescu, close to Vântu
- Dinu Patriciu (1950–2014), richest man of Romania (after he sold Rompetrol), supporter of PNL and libertarian causes, Adevărul owner (2006–2014), enemy of Băsescu, but protected by Băsescu's PM Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
- media mogul Dan Voiculescu (Intact Media Group, inc 1991: Antena 1, Jurnalul Naţional...), 1991 founder of PUR (Humanist Party of Romania) later renaming itself PC (Conservative Party), enemy of President Băsescu, sentenced to prison in 2013, 2014, released in 2017
- socialist and nationalist Dan Diaconescu, supported Băsescu until accused of blackmail in 2010, after which he launched the People's Party in 2011; TV presenter, then owner of OTV (licence removed in 2013) and DDTV (licence removed in 2014); jailed in 2015 for 5 years and a half for "blackmail" (through his media presence)
- President Băsescu has accused Voiculescu of being a "media mogul" who uses his media group to fight political battles. He further accused Voiculescu of trying to control, through the media, the politics of the country.[32] In May 2007, Băsescu said "Oligarchs should not be confused with the business community. They are the few who have made fortunes thanks to facilities from government, people who have become very rich and now give orders to politicians, those who are supported financially by the oligarchs and who have turned into puppets of certain businessmen like Voiculescu, [Rompetrol owner Dinu] Patriciu, and many others."
- Băsescu vs Popescu-Tăriceanu
- December 2004: Băsescu (PD) nominates Popescu-Tăriceanu (PNL leader) as PM, heading a PD-PNL-PUR-UDMR coalition; government takes office on 29 December
- On 7 July 2005, Popescu-Tăriceanu announced that he and his cabinet would resign in order to trigger early elections. The announcement of the resignation was prompted by the Constitutional Court's decision to block a set of laws designed to reform the judicial system. On 19 July, Popescu-Tăriceanu reversed the decision. At that point, relations began to publicly sour between Popescu-Tăriceanu and President Băsescu.
- On 5 April 2006 Basescu stated that he regrets naming Tariceanu Prime-Minister, and accused him of partnership with other groups.[7]
- On 1 April 2007, Tariceanu dismissed the ministers of the pro-Băsescu Democratic Party and formed a minority government with the Democratic Union of Hungarians;[10] the government was approved by Parliament on 3 April, with the support of the Social Democratic Party.[11] On 3 October 2007, following a motion brought by the Social Democratic Party, Popescu-Tăriceanu's government survived a no-confidence vote.
institutions:
- Michael I of Romania (1921–2017, King, exiled in 1947, couldn't come back until 1997 after Iliescu)
- Securitate (reorganized in 1991)
- rumours that Băsescu was a member during Ceaușescu's era (2004)
- Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI)
- Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE)
- Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu (PM in 2012)
- Protection and Guard Service (SPP) (the former Directorate V)
- Disappearance of Elodia Ghinescu (Elodia's lover was a former SPP officer)
- Special Telecommunications Service (STS)
- Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR)
- on 8 June 2021, a landmark decision (7–2) against the primacy of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) responding to the CJEU's May 15 decision allowing each judge to put EU law above national law. This triggers Monica Macovei to ask for the 7 judges' dismissal, NGOs to condemn, the European Commission to respond.
urban protests:
- 2012 Romanian protests
- in January (against the health reform): PM Boc resigns; Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu appointed
- in February (against austerity, and many other issues; now throughout the country)
- in April: Ungureanu loses confidence vote; coalition change (PSD+PNL), Ponta nominated PM
- 2013 Romanian protests against the Roșia Montană Project (Roșia Montană Project): project stalled
- 2015 Romanian protests (following the Colectiv nightclub fire): Ponta cabinet resigned
- 2017–2019 Romanian protests
crises:
views of the political quagmire:
- In 2017, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu claimed that he was a staunch Monarchist and "Constitutional monarchy has the advantage of placing the monarch over political games, which is not our case: the president, instead of being an arbitrator, prefers to be a player. "[21]