This article gives an overview of liberalism and radicalism in Romania. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in this scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it is not necessary for a party to have actually labeled itself as a liberal party.

Background

Liberalism has been one of the major political forces in Romania since the Wallachian Revolution of 1848, which was later mainly organized in the centre-right historical National Liberal Party (PNL), especially at governmental level.

As of July 2022, the contemporary National Liberal Party (PNL) is the head of the Romanian government with its incumbent Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, with elected members in both houses of the Romanian Parliament (more specifically 80 in the Chamber of Deputies and 37 in the Senate) as well as in the European Parliament (where it is the largest Romanian party, having 10 MEPs out of 33 allocated for Romania). At European Parliament level, the PNL is a member party of European People's Party (EPP) and thereby part of the European People's Party Group (EPP Group).

The National Liberal Party (PNL) has historically had many spin-offs (or breakaway factions) and mergers alike with other centre-right parties (many of which were former breakaway factions returning to the main party). For example, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) was such a notable relatively recent spin-off/breakaway faction. Furthermore, the Romanian ALDE was a junior partner in a coalition government along the Social Democratic Party (PSD) between 2017 and 2019, before merging again in the PNL in early 2022.

History

Precursors

National Liberal Party (PNL)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 1991: A section of the Civic Alliance (PAC) non-governmental organization established the Civic Alliance Party (Romanian: Partidul Alianţa Civică), led by Nicolae Manolescu;
  • 1993: A faction joined the ⇒ Liberal Party 1993;
  • 1998: The party merged into the ⇒ National Liberal Party (PNL).

National Liberal Party-Democratic Convention (PNL-CD)

National Liberal Party-Câmpeanu (PNL-C)

Alliance for Romania (ApR)

Democratic Liberal Party (PDL)

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE)

Save Romania Union (USR)

Force of the Right (FD)

Presidents of the National Liberal Party (1875–present)

Nº 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

References

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