Social Democratic Party (Romania) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Social Democratic Party
Partidul Social Democrat
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| Abbreviation | PSD |
| President | Marcel Ciolacu |
| Secretary-General | Paul Stănescu |
| First-Vice Presidents | Gabriela Firea Sorin Grindeanu |
| Honorary President | Ion Iliescu |
| Leader in the Senate | Lucian Romașcanu |
| Leader in the Chamber of Deputies | Alfred Simonis |
| Leader in the European Parliament | Dan Nica |
| Founders | FDSN: List
Ion Iliescu
Vasile Văcaru Ion Solcanu Oliviu Gherman Diodor Nicoară Gheorghe Dumitrașcu Ion Tătar Emanuil Cernescu Ion Neagu Gheorghe Damian Vasile Secăreș Vladimir Pasti Petre Ninosu Alexandru Albu Petre Ţurlea Adrian Năstase Șerban Nicolae Adrian Năstase Alexandru Athanasiu |
| Founded | 7 April 1992 (FDSN) 16 June 2001 (merger) |
| Merger of | PDSR PSDR |
| Preceded by | Democratic National Salvation Front |
| Headquarters | Șoseaua Kiseleff 10, Bucharest |
| Youth wing | Social Democratic Youth |
| Women's wing | OFSD |
| Membership (2015) | 530,000 |
| Ideology |
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| Political position | Centre-left |
| National affiliation | Red Quadrilateral (1992–1996) Social Democratic Pole of Romania (2000–2004) Social Liberal Union (2011–2014) Centre Left Alliance (2012–2014) National Coalition for Romania (2021–present) |
| European affiliation | Party of European Socialists |
| International affiliation | Progressive Alliance Socialist International |
| European Parliament group | Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats |
| Colours | Red |
| Senate |
49 / 136
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| Chamber of Deputies |
107 / 330
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| European Parliament |
8 / 33
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| Mayors |
1,362 / 3,176
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| County Presidents |
20 / 41
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| County Councilors |
362 / 1,340
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| Local Council Councilors |
13,820 / 39,900
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| Ministers |
9 / 18
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| Party flag | |
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The Social Democratic Party (Romanian: Partidul Social Democrat, PSD) is a major political party in Romania. It is known as the largest social democratic party in the country. The PSD is also the biggest political party in Romania overall, except for the European Parliament, where it is the second largest.
The party was started by Ion Iliescu, who became Romania's first president elected by the people in 1990. Today, the PSD is part of a large group of parties called the National Coalition for Romania (CNR). This group also includes the National Liberal Party (PNL).
The PSD is a member of several international groups. These include the Progressive Alliance (PA), founded in 2013, the Socialist International (SI), and the Party of European Socialists (PES). In 2015, the PSD had about 530,000 members.
The PSD's history goes back to the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN). This group formed in 1992 from another party called the National Salvation Front (FSN). In 1993, the FDSN joined with three other parties and changed its name to the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (Romanian: Partidul Democrației Sociale in România, PDSR). The party got its current name, PSD, in 2001 after joining with a smaller group called the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR).
Since it was formed, the PSD has always been one of the two most important parties in Romania. The PDSR governed Romania from 1992 to 1996. The PSDR was also part of the government from 1996 to 2000. After the merger, the PSD led the government from 2000 to 2004 and again from 2014 to 2015. They were also a main partner in other governments. The PSD returned to power in 2017 after winning the 2016 elections. They stayed in government until 2019, then were in opposition, and returned to government in late 2021 as part of the CNR.
Ion Iliescu, the party's founder, is the only PSD member to have been President of Romania. He served from 1989 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2004.
Today, the PSD is the largest party in the Parliament of Romania. They have many seats in the Senate of Romania and the Chamber of Deputies. They also have the most mayors and are a very strong political force in Romania.
Contents
The Party's Journey: A History
The Social Democratic Party has a long and interesting history. It started after a big change in Romania in 1989.
How the Party Began
In May 1992, a group of supporters led by Ion Iliescu left the National Salvation Front (FSN). They started their own party called the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN). The rest of the FSN became the Democratic Party.
At its first big meeting in June 1992, the FDSN decided to support Ion Iliescu for president. He won the election and led Romania until 1996. In July 1993, the FDSN joined with other parties and changed its name to the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR).
Years in Government and Opposition
From 1992 to 1996, the PDSR governed Romania with other parties. This group was sometimes called the "Red Quadrilateral" by the media. After the 1996 elections, the PDSR became an opposition party.
After a few years of economic problems, the PDSR made a strong comeback. They won the 2000 Romanian general election as part of a group called the Social Democratic Pole of Romania. In June 2001, the PDSR joined with the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR). This is when they officially became the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
In 2004, Adrian Năstase, the PSD candidate for president, lost the election. Mircea Geoană became the party president in 2005. Later, in 2010, Victor Ponta was elected president of the party.
Recent Times and Coalitions
In 2011, the PSD formed a group called the Social Liberal Union (USL) with other parties. This group broke up in 2014.
In July 2015, Liviu Dragnea became the new president of the PSD. In 2019, the PSD was temporarily suspended from the Party of European Socialists (PES) due to concerns about changes to laws in Romania. After Liviu Dragnea left his position, Viorica Dăncilă became the party president.
In August 2020, Marcel Ciolacu became the current president of the party. The PSD faced some challenges in the 2020 elections but remained a strong opposition party. In November 2021, the PSD joined a new government coalition called the "National Coalition for Romania" (CNR) with the National Liberal Party (PNL). The PSD is still part of the government today.
What the Party Believes In
The PSD is a centre-left party. This means they generally support policies that help all people in society, like social welfare and public services. They are part of the Party of European Socialists (PES), which is a group of similar parties in Europe.
Key Ideas and Values
The PSD's beliefs come from a mix of ideas. They support social democracy, which focuses on fairness and equality. They also have elements of left-wing populism, meaning they often appeal directly to the common people.
The party also has some social conservatism in its views. This means they hold more traditional values on certain social issues. This is common in many countries that used to be under communist rule.
The PSD supports Romania's membership in the European Union (EU) and NATO. While they are generally pro-European, they sometimes take a cautious approach to European integration.
Experts describe the PSD as a "catch-all party." This means it tries to appeal to many different types of voters. They might use centre-left ideas for economic policies, but have more traditional views on social matters. For example, they have called for both lower taxes and higher pensions and wages.
The party has strong connections with the Romanian Orthodox Church. This reflects the traditional values held by many people in Romania.
How the Party is Organized
The Social Democratic Party has a clear structure to help it run smoothly.
President
The party president leads all the party's activities. They are elected by a secret vote at the Congress for a four-year term. The president represents the party in Romania and with other groups.
Honorary President
The Honorary President is a respected person chosen by the Congress. They can participate in important party meetings.
Secretary-General
The Secretary-General manages the party's daily operations. They work with the party's offices in different counties and in Bucharest.
Permanent National Bureau
This is a key group that makes decisions for the party. It includes the President, Honorary President, Secretary-General, and other leaders. They meet weekly to discuss and decide on party matters.
National Executive Committee
This committee guides the party's work between big meetings of the National Council. They discuss and decide on important issues like election plans, alliances with other parties, and government programs.
National Council
The National Council is the main governing body between the Congress meetings. It has many members elected from different parts of the country. They make decisions on political alliances, approve the party's budget, and review the work of other party groups.
Congress
The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the PSD. It meets every four years or when special situations arise. The Congress adopts the party's rules and plans. It also elects the party's main leaders and chooses the PSD candidate for President of Romania.
Party Leaders Over Time
Here are some of the people who have led the Social Democratic Party and its earlier forms:
| Nº | Name Birth–Death |
Portrait | Term start | Term end | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ion Iliescu (1930–) |
.jpg) |
7 April 1992 | 11 October 1992 | 6 months and 4 days | |
| 2 | Oliviu Gherman (1930–2020) |
11 October 1992 | January 1997 | c. 4 years and 2 months | ||
| (1) | Ion Iliescu (1930–) |
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January 1997 | 20 December 2000 | c. 4 years |
| 3 | Adrian Năstase1 (1950– ) |
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20 December 2000 | 21 January 2005 | 4 years, 1 month and 1 day | |
| 4 | Mircea Geoană (1958– |
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2005 | 2010 | c. 5 years | |
| 5 | Victor Ponta (1972– |
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21 February 2010 | 12 July 2015 | 5 years, 4 months and 21 days | |
| — | Rovana Plumb (acting) (1960– |
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24 June 2015 | 22 July 2015 | 28 days | |
| — | Liviu Dragnea (acting) (1962– ) |
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22 July 2015 | 12 October 2015 | 2 months and 20 days | |
| 6 | Liviu Dragnea (1962– ) |
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12 October 2015 | 27 May 2019 | 3 years, 7 months and 15 days | |
| 7 | Viorica Dăncilă (1963– |
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27 May 2019 | 26 November 2019 | 5 months and 30 days | |
| — | Marcel Ciolacu (acting) (1967– |
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26 November 2019 | 22 August 2020 | 8 months and 27 days | |
| 8 | Marcel Ciolacu (1967– |
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22 August 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 9 months and 24 days |
Also served as President of Romania Also served as Prime Minister Also served as Chamber President Also served as Senate President
Important Members of the Party
Many people have been important to the Social Democratic Party over the years.
Current Key Members
- Ion Iliescu: Founder of the party and former President of Romania. He is now the Honorary President of PSD.
- Nicolae Văcăroiu: A former Prime Minister of Romania.
- Marcel Ciolacu: The current president of the party since 2019.
- Gabriela Firea: A former Mayor of Bucharest.
- Sorin Grindeanu: A former Prime Minister of Romania.
- Dan Nica: A former deputy and current member of the European Parliament.
- Alexandru Rafila: The current Health Minister.
Former Key Members
- Viorica Dăncilă: A former president of the party and former Prime Minister of Romania.
- Adrian Năstase: A former president of the party and former Prime Minister of Romania.
- Mircea Geoană: A former president of the party and former President of the Senate.
- Victor Ponta: A former president of the party and former Prime Minister of Romania.
- Liviu Dragnea: A former president of the party and former President of the Chamber of Deputies.
Images for kids
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Adrian Năstase during a meeting of the National Council in November 2013
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