Thread by @Miyhnea

Decided to make a thread about the EP elections in Romania, a brief overview of the political situation here.
I know most of you will keep an eye on UK/France..etc be we are the 7th biggest EU country and have more MEPs than the Netherlands so the results here matter quite a bit

On the 26th we'll vote here not only for the EP but also on a referendum on "justice", a bit more of that later.
Don't really know how to start so i'll do a somewhat more detailed look at the political parties, their views, leaders....etc

Before we begin: "Abandon all you know of political ideology thy who enter here''

The biggest political party in the country, and the one that currently governs the country is PSD (Social-Democrat Party). This is the giant of RO politics.

Successor to the Communist party, the party that ruled Romania for +65% of our post communist history.
Won't give the entire parties history, as the current leadership is very different from the previous ones.

To talk of ideology is pointless really, PSD is basically an umbrella org for regional political "barons" and various businessmen, who are united on only 2 issues:
1. The believe they are above the law
2. Desire to gain access to the state finances

To say PSD is corrupt is the understatement of the century. They are corruption itself. The party itself works only for, and because, of corruption. Their leaders are even open about this.
Their leader Dragnea openly said "the people can choose hand-cuffs or bread"

The party has basically nothing to do with Social-Democracy, even less since Dragnea took over.
It has always been religiously conservative, last year they attempted to forbid gay marriage, though renaged the issue when it blew in their face.

And increasingly hard-core nationalistic. Their vice-president, a former member of the now dead far-right PRM, declared that those who vote against PSD are "non-Romanians". While Dragnea himself called anti-PSD protesters "rats" and "vermin"

So who votes for PSD? The party has 3 big voter blocks
1.Very, veeery poor people, mostly in the deep rural areas.
2.Pensioners. PSD is THE party of pensioners, they raise pensions every 6 months.
3.State employees who are either corrupt or intimidated to vote for them

They are led, since 2015 by Liviu Dragnea. He was a provincial "baron", who rose through the ranks of the party by gaining a reputation of being the men who "brings the votes" through not so legal means.

He has a 3 year probation sentence where he was found guilty of voter fraud

Dragnea has through a mix of purges and bribes consolidated absolute power in the party. While before him PSD could be described as a decentralized Oligarchy, since 2015 he is the sole person in the party that takes decisions.

Under Dragnea the party has spent the last 2 years trying to destroy the judiciary and impose political control over it, stop the anti-corruption fight and free already convicted friends from jail

What's at stake for Dragnea in these elections: His freedom really. The party is collapsing in the polls and local elections are coming next year. If the regional leaders see that they are sinking because of Dragnea they might remove him from the party.

So for PSD these elections have nothing to do about the EU or even domestic politics, its all about Dragnea's position. He needs to win to remain in power and placate any would be coup in the party against him, to continue his castration of the judiciary to save himself from jail

The biggest opposition party is PNL (National-Liberal Party)
They are a mix of Christian democrats and, not to liberal, Liberals. I truly have no idea how to describe them.
How do you describe nothingness? The party is an identity limbo ever since they broke with PSD

From 2012 to 2014 the party formed a coalition with PSD. A coalition that almost destroyed them. PSD almost killed them in 2014 when they passed a law letting politicians switch parties while in office, almost half of their mayors, MPs..etcs joined PSD then

Even worse, in 2014 they fused with what was left of Traian Basescu's PDL, a party that they spent years fighting.
Their victory in the '14 presidential election is what saved them. Former mayor of Sibiu, Klaus Iohannis won on a massive anti-PSD wave of anger

Even now the party has not come out of the limbo, they have barely moved in the polls for the last 2 years, remaining constantly at around 25%.

And yet they have a huge chance of winning the vote this sunday, simply because PSD collapsed below them

So who votes for PNL? People in medium and big sized cities and rural areas in Transylvania, where the party outperforms even PSD.

I won't bother with ideology as they keep a distance from touch issues and their only selling point is "we aren't PSD"

They are led by Ludovic Orban a typical, boring, uncharismatic party apparatchik. He was chosen because, well firstly the others where even worse, but also because Orban has always been a critic of PSD, even during the period when PNL-PSD where in a coalition

That fact even 5 years later isn't forgotten, accusations that they are still working with PSD behind the scenes are constant.
Orban tried to address this, declaring that "PSD must be fought in every town and city" threatening PNL officials with expulsion if they work with PSD

Unlike with Dragnea the results of this elections are not vital at all, there is literally nobody competent enough to question his authority in the party.
A defeat won't affect him as his official goal was "to stay near PSD", but it looks they may even win now.

"Alliance 2020" is a coalition of 2 new parties. Lets start with USR (Union to Save Romania)
The party was born as USB, union to save Bucharest, a union of various 1 issue activists, after doing incredible in the capital, outperforming even PNL, they went national.

The parties biggest issue is the anti-corruption fight. While its members disagree from economic policies to social issues, its the desire to fight corruption and oligarchs that unites them and that motivates people to vote for them.

They party is a strong supporter of judiciary independence, anti-corruption, transparency...etc
While there are some strong conservatives within it, they have taken a very liberal stance on social issues, it was the only party that denounced the anti-gay referendum

They have also voted in favour of civil partnership for gay couples.

Its also the only party with a consistent position on the EU. They are ranging from strongly pro-EU to borderline pro-federalists.

Who votes USR?
They are basically confined in the big cities. Voted by young people, well educated people, professionals...etc

For USR these will be only their second nation wide elections. For them this Sunday will be all about growing as a party, getting more volunteers, appearing on TV, being seen on the streets campaigning, trying to expend beyond the big cities...etc

They are "led" by Dan Barna. Not much to say about him, besides that he is a mildly decent speaker. Decisions in the party are taken through voting, and Barna acts in truth more as the parties spokesperson.

The 2nd party of the A2020 is PLUS (Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity).
Not much to say of the party as it has just been created and this are their first elections, and frankly they have not been able to come out from USRs shadow.

So far the party is just a vehicle for its leader, Dacian Ciolos.
He is the only reason why people so far might vote for PLUS. While incredibly similar to USR, Ciolos has "experience", having been min of Agriculture, European commissioner of Agriculture and Prime-minister

So any PLUS voter is basically an USR voter who simply likes Ciolos more and believes he is more suited to govern than the rather inexperienced people in USR

The party also shares the same goals as USR these elections, to grow and make itself known to the public

Predicted to finish 4th is ALDE (Alliance of Liberal-Democrats).
The parties history is irrelevent its a machine for its leader, former PNL leader and PM, Calin-Popescu Tariceanu.

They are currently in a coalition with PSD

When PNL was choosing a new leader in 2015, he returned to politics and demended to be made leader. PNL at pressure from Iohannis refused, so Tariceanu left the party with a few loyalists and merged with one of PSDs minor satelite party, creating ALDE

The party got half a million votes, identical with Tariceanu's votes at the presidential elections. He is clearly the sole reason people vote ALDE, a mix of middle aged people who remember that they lived well when he was PM, before the economic crisis hit

Tariceanu is just as determined as Dragnea to destroy the judiciary, though less ope about it. He too is investigated in multiple corruption related cases.

And yet the party stands to double after these elections

ALDE has managed to appear as the "grown up" in the coalition. While Dragnea yells of Soros and conspiracies, Tariceanu talks of economic projects with Bulgaria, for example

They have managed to "steal" quite a few of PSDs voters

PRO Romania, just like ALDE is a one man party, centering purely around former PSD leader and PM, Victor Ponta.
Made from former PSD members purged by Dragnea, pro is basically what's left of the former elite of PSD

Ponta has described the party as a "European Social-Democratic" party. And they have indeed been quite pro-European these elections, with Ponta accusing Dragnea of turning PSD into FIDESZ.

But the hypocrisy they have shown must be pointed. Ponta attacks Dragnea of wanting amnesty when he himself wanted to pass amnesty in 2014, accusing Dragnea of being owned to the same local barons that owned him to.

They act as if they didn't led PSD for years and years

PMP (People's Movement Party) is again a one man party around former President Traian Basescu.
It is THE nationalistic party of the moment and the only openly Unionist party that proposes Union with R.Moldova

More recently they also adopted some far-right positions, like anti-islam discourse anti-immigrant...etc Though they remain deeply pro-EU. Basescu openly endorsing a federalized EU.

They have struggled to get over the 5% treshold

Initially Basescu didn't campaign much and the party struggled, but in the last 2 weeks he started getting out and appearing on TV and the party seems to have risen above the treshold again.

Last party (!) is UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania) not much to say of them as they are a party revolving entirely around the interests of the Hungarian minority.
Anti-EU federalism and in favour of a "Europe of nations"

The party polls around 5% but some polls had them even lower. Most interesting to see is how much, if at all, they may drop. USR has attempted to appeal, somewhat, to younger Hungarians tired of UDMR and this is truly the only direction they risk losing votes

Just realized I forgot to mention the referendum, kinda fitting though i guess🤦‍♂️
Besides the EP elections this Sunday we will also vote in a referendum on "justice" as President Iohannis called it

There will be 2 ballots and 2 questions. First is as follow:
"Do you agree with banning amnesty for people convicted on corruption charges?'

2nd question:
"Do you agree to ban the government from passing emergency ordinances on matters relating to the judiciary?"

I will be blunt and say the questions are very weak, PSD needing neither amnesty or emergency ordinance to free their corrupt friends.

The referendum in truth has 2 purposes. Firstly its an electoral move by President Iohannis to prove he is still fighting PSD

Secondly its a gift for the opposition, who is knows to struggle to mobilize its voters, an attempt to give them a few catchy slogans "come stop the thieves/no to amnesty" to motivate their voters to show up

All opposition parties have embraced it eagerly, if criticizing the 2nd question as a bit to "complicated"
ALDE declared it will boycott it and PSD has given mix signals, with Dragnea saying he won't vote but PM Dancila saying she'll vote in the referendum