Liberalism and radicalism in Romania

Liberalism and radicalism are important political movements in Romania. Many political parties from these traditions have had important historical roles and substantial support, including representation in the Parliament of Romania. Not all Romanian political parties relevant to this tradition have explicitly described themselves as liberal or radical.

Background

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Liberalism has been one of the major political forces in Romania since the Wallachian Revolution of 1848.

The first Romanian National Liberal Party (PNL) was active from 1875 until both its major factions were quashed in 1947 and 1950 by the communist government. The contemporary National Liberal Party (also PNL) was re-founded in 1990 after the Romanian Revolution.[1] The centre-right PNL has had notable factions, splits and mergers, including the re-absorption of breakaway parties. For example, the right-wing and pro-German National Liberal Party–Brătianu reunited with the rest of the party in 1938[2] after splitting off in 1930.[3] More recently, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) split from the PNL and was a junior partner in a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (PSD) between 2017 and 2019, before merging again with the PNL in early 2022.

Timeline of parties and movements

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Note: The sign ⇒ denotes another party in this scheme.

Precursors

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National Liberal Party (PNL)

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  • 1875: The liberal current organised itself in the National Liberal Party (Partidul Naţional-Liberal), led by Ion Brătianu
  • 1884: A faction formed the Radical Party, led by C.A. Rosetti and George Panu
  • 1899: The National Liberal Party absorbs the right-wing of the Romanian Social-Democratic Workers' Party
  • 1918: The Peasants' Party absorbs a left-wing tendency in the National Liberal Party formed around Constantin Stere
  • 1929: A faction formed the ⇒ National Liberal Party-Brătianu
  • 1931: A faction formed the Liberal Democratic Party, which remained unsuccessful. The same year a majority of the Brătianu party returned in the National Liberal Party
  • 1938: The rest of the Brătianu party returned in the National Liberal Party
  • 1938: The party is banned by King Carol II
  • 1944: The party resumed its activities
  • 1944: A faction formed the ⇒ National Liberal Party-Tătărescu
  • 1947: The Brătianu faction dissolves itself
  • 1990: A party claiming the National Liberal legacy is founded by Radu Câmpeanu
  • 1990: A youth faction of the National Liberal Party formed the ⇒ Liberal Party Youth Wing
  • 1991: A faction formed the ⇒ National Liberal Party-Democratic Convention
  • 1995: The ⇒ Liberal party 1993 merged into the National Liberal Party, the ⇒ National Liberal Party-Câmpeanu seceded from the party
  • 1998: The party absorbed the ⇒ Civic Alliance Party
  • 2002: The Alliance for Romania (Alianţa pentru România) merged into the National Liberal Party
  • 2003: The Union of Right-Wing Forces (Uniunea Forţelor de Dreapta) and the ⇒ National Liberal Party-Câmpeanu merged into the party

National Liberal Party-Brătianu (PNL-B)

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  • 1929: A breakaway faction of the ⇒ National Liberal Party (PNL) formed the National Liberal Party–Brătianu (Romanian: Partidul Naţional Liberal-Brătianu), supporting Gheorghe I. Brătianu as its president;
  • 1931: Most of the party returned to the ⇒ National Liberal Party (PNL);
  • 1938: The party reunited with the ⇒ National Liberal Party (PNL).

National Liberal Party–Tătărescu (PNL-T)

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  • 1944: A faction of the ⇒ National Liberal Party (PNL) formed the National Liberal Party–Tătărescu (Romanian: Partidul Naţional Liberal-Tătărescu, PNL-T) which was presided initially by former Prime Minister and PNL member Gheorghe Tătărescu (who was also previously a member of the National Renaissance Front, FRN) and then, subsequently, by Petre Bejan towards the end of its political existence;
  • 1946: The party ran in that year's Romanian general election with the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) and the Ploughmen's Front (FP), being part of the People's Democratic Front (Romanian: Frontul Democrației Populare, FDP) which at that time ran as the Bloc of Democratic Parties (Romanian: Blocul Partidelor Democratice, BPD). The election was fraudulently won by the Communists. The party was briefly part of the Communist-dominated governmental coalition led by Petru Groza between 1946 until 1947;
  • 1948: The party decided to ran separately in that year's Romanian legislative election, in opposition towards the Bloc of Democratic Parties (BPD). It entered the unicameral Parliament (or, as it was now back then, the Great National Assembly) with a very feeble number of elected representatives, more specifically 7. For that year's legislative election, the party leadership switched from Tătărescu to Bejan and remained as such during the upcoming years;
  • 1950: The party ceased its political activity, being banned (or dissolved) by the Romanian Communist Party (PCR).

From National Liberal Party Youth Wing (PNL-AT) to Liberal Party 1993 (PL '93)

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  • 1990: A youth faction of the ⇒ National Liberal Party (PNL) formed the National Liberal Party Youth Wing (Romanian: Partidul Naţional Liberal-Aripa Tînără, PNL-AT) in opposition to then leadership of the party which was presided by Radu Câmpeanu;
  • 1992: The party was renamed Liberal Party (Romanian: Partidul Liberal) and was led by Horia Rusu;
  • 1993: The Liberal Party merged with the ⇒ National Liberal Party-Democratic Convention (PNL-CD) and the Group for Moral and Political Reforms into the Liberal Party 1993 (Romanian: Partidul Liberal 1993, PL '93), joined by a faction of the ⇒ Civic Alliance Party (PAC);
  • 1995: The party merged into the ⇒ National Liberal Party (PNL).

Civic Alliance Party (PAC)

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National Liberal Party-Democratic Convention (PNL-CD)

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National Liberal Party-Câmpeanu (PNL-C)

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Alliance for Romania (ApR)

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Democratic Liberal Party (PDL)

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Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE)

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Force of the Right (FD)

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Presidents of the National Liberal Party (1875–present)

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Name Term start Term end
1 Ion Brătianu 1875 1891
2 Dumitru Brătianu 1891 1892
3 Dimitrie Sturdza 1892 1908
4 Ion I. C. Brătianu 1908 24 November 1927
5 Vintilă Brătianu November/December 1927 1930
6 Ion Duca 1930 30 December 1933
7 Dinu Brătianu December 1933 1948
none (party dissolved/banned during Romanian Communist Party rule) 1948 1989
8 Radu Câmpeanu January 1990 February 1993
9 Mircea Ionescu-Quintus February 1993 February 2001
10 Valeriu Stoica February 2001 August 2002
11 Theodor Stolojan August 2002 October 2004
12 Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu October 2004 March 2009
13 Crin Antonescu March 2009 June 2014
14 Klaus Iohannis June 2014 December 2014
15 Vasile Blaga December 2014 September 2016
16 Alina Gorghiu December 2014 December 2016
Raluca Turcan (acting/ad interim) December 2016 June 2017
17 Ludovic Orban June 2017 September 2021
18 Florin Cîțu September 2021 April 2022
Gheorghe Flutur (acting/ad interim) April 2022 April 2022
19 Nicolae Ciucă April 2022 Incumbent

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Stejărel Olaru (2004). "The Communist Regime and its Legacy in Romania". In Olaru, Stejărel; Herbstritt, Georg (eds.). Vademekum Contemporary History Romania: A Guide Through Archives, Research Institutions, Libraries, Societies, Museums and Memorial Places (PDF). Inst. Român de Istorie Recentă. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  2. ^ Ilie, Mihaela (2018). "10th/ 11th of February 1938 in Interwar Romanian Politics: an Almighty King and a Political Class on its Knees" (PDF). Revista de Științe Politice. Revue des Sciences Politiques (59): 128–138. ISSN 1584-224X. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  3. ^ Otu, Petre (2024). "Gheorghe I. Brătianu and the Black Sea Straits Question (1933-1944)" (PDF). Romanian Military Thinking. 1. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
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