Old wine in new bottles: The Romanian elections of 2008

Problems of Post-Communism

Volumn 56, Issue 5, 2009, Pages 47-61

  Stan, Lavinia ^a   Vancea, Diane ^b  

^a ST FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

^b OVIDIUS UNIVERSITY   (Romania)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 70349521808     PISSN: 10758216     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2753/PPC1075-8216560505     Document Type: Article

References (54)

1. In 2004 the presidential mandate was extended to five years.
2. The term "sultanism-cum-totalitarianism" was coined by Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan in Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996
3. Lavinia Stan and Razvan Zaharia, "Romania," European Journal of Political Research 47, no.8 (2008): 1123.
4. For the advantages and disadvantages of Romania's electoral system, see Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Rapoarte asupra guvernarii: Editie speciala 3 (Reports on Governance: Special Edition 3) (Bucharest: Societatea Academica Romana, 2003)
5. Razvan Zaharia, "Strategii si tactici de marketing electoral" (Strategies and Methods of Electoral Marketing) (Ph.D. dissertation, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, 1996
6. Tom Gallagher, Theft of a Nation: Romania Since Communism (London: C. Hurst, 2005);
7. Henry F. Carey, ed., Romania Since 1989: Politics, Economics and Society (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2004);
8. Lavinia Stan, ed., Romania in Transition (Brookfield, VT: Dartmouth University Press, 1997
9. Vladimir Shlapentokh, Christopher Vanderpool, and Boris Zusmanovich Doktorov, ed., The New Elite in Post-Communist Eastern Europe (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1999
10. For details on the political context that led to the referendum and Bǎs-escu's impeachment, see Stan and Zaharia, "Romania," p. 1125.
11. Dan Tapalaga, "19 tari merg pe uninominalul lui BSsescu -jumatate sunt dictaturi. Uninominalul lui Tǎriceanu mentine partial dictatura celor 322" (19 Countries Use BSsescu's Majoritarian System-Half of Them Are Dictatorships. Tǎriceanu's System Partially Maintains the Dictatorship of the 322), Hotnews (November 19, 2007), available at www.hotnews.ro/ stiri-arhiva-1502284-19-tari-merg-uninominalul-lui-basescu-jumatate-sunt- dictaturi-uninominalul-lui-tariceanu-mentine-partial-dictatura-celor-322.htm, accessed November 22, 2008.
12. "Legea pentru alegerea Camerei Deputatilor si a Senatului si pentru modificarea si completarea Legii nr. 67/2004 pentru alegerea autoritatilor admin- istratiilor publice locale, a Legii administratiei publice locale nr. 215/2001 si a Legii nr. 393/2004 privind Statului alesilor locali" (Law on Electing the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate and on Modifying and Completing Law 67/2004 on Electing Local Government Bodies, Law 215/2001 on Local Public Administra tion, and Law 393/2004 on Local Elected Representatives), Monitorul Oficial, no.136 (March 13, 2008), available at www.becparlamentare2008.ro/ legislat/ monitorul%20oficial%20m-.%20196-2008.pdf, accessed November 22, 2008.
13. Anca Simina and Adi Manciu, "Uninominal cu final asteptat" (Majoritarian System with Expected Results), Evenimentul Zilei (August 11, 2008
14. According to Law no. 35/2008, the differences in total population between the colleges must not exceed 30 percent, but this requirement was not always observed. Some colleges include only 40,000 people, whereas others include as many as 88,000.
15. Mircea Marian, "BSsescu 1-a ingropat pe presedinte!" (BSsescu Buried the President!), Evenimentul Zilei (September 26 2008). Local observers scolded Bǎsescu for voicing his opinion hours before the court handed down its verdict.
16. Tatian Iorga, "Verdict final: parlamentarele pe 30 noiembrie" (Final Verdict: Parliamentary Elections on November 30), Telegraful (November 12, 2008
17. Romulus Cristea, "Romania poate ateriza dur in 2009" (Romania Could Land on Its Knees in 2009), Romania Libera (November 29, 2008
18. "La noi politica se face cu ura, iar ura genereaza rau" (Here Politics Is Run by Hate, and Hate Breeds Evil), Evenimentul Zilei (November 17, 2008
19. "Prioritatea partidelor, negocierile nu criza" (The Parties' Priority- Their Negotiations, Not the [Economic] Crisis), Business Standard (November 25, 2008
20. For additional information on this subject, see Lavinia Stan, ed., Transitional Justice in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (New York: Routledge, 2008
21. In 2008, Romania ranked 70th and Bulgaria 72d in the Corruption Perception Index. See www.transparency.org/policy-research/surveys-indices/ cpi/2008, accessed December 22, 2008.
22. Razvan Chiruta and Petrica Rachita, "Mita electorala e ceva obisnuit in politica" (Electoral Bribe Is Normal in Politics), Romania Libera (November 12, 2008
23. Andrei Craciun, "Cetatenii turmentati" (The Inebriated Citizens), Evenimentul Zilei (September 21, 2008
24. Rodica Culcer, "Alegerile, o mare farsa" (Elections, a Great Farce), Evenimentul Zilei (October 3, 2008
25. Alexandra-Livia Dordea, "Baronul de Buzau si-a facut baiatul par-lamentar" (The Buzau Local Baron Made His Son a Parliament Member), Evenimentul Zilei (December 3, 2008). 18.
26. Coalitia pentru o Romanie Curata, "Voteaza cu ochii pe listele negre" (Vote with Your Eyes on the Blacklists) (November 17, 2008), available at www.romaniacurata.ro/voteaza-cu-ochii-pe-listele-negre-158.htm, accessed November 26, 2008.
27. Biroul Electoral Central, "Proces verbal privind rezultatele finale ale alegrilor pentru Camera Deputatilor, 30 noiembrie 2008" (Memo on the Final Results of the Elections to the Chamber of Deputies, November 30, 2008), www.becparlamentare2008.ro/rezul/anexa8abun.pdf, accessed December 22, 2008.
28. Biroul Electoral Central, "Proces verbal privind rezultatele finale ale alegrilor pentru Camera Deputatilor, 30 noiembrie 2008" (Memo on the Final Results of the Elections to the Chamber of Deputies, November 30, 2008), www.becparlamentare2008.ro/rezul/anexa8abun.pdf, accessed December 22, 2008. Ibid.
29. Mircea Kivu, "Un sistem de vot hibrid, cu rezultate discutabile" (A Hybrid Electoral System with Dubious Results), Romania libera (December 13, 2008
30. Andrei Craciun, "Cetatenii turmentati" (The Inebriated Citizens), Evenimentul Zilei (September 21, 2008
31. In this sense, the Romanian system is similar to other majoritarian systems. See Arend Lijphart, Electoral System and Party Systems: A Study of Twenty-seven Democracies, 1945-1990 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994)
32. and idem, Patterns ofDemocracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-six Countries (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999
33. Dan Badea, "Patru milioane de romani au votat degeaba" (Four Million Romanians Voted for Nothing), Gardianul (December 4, 2008
34. Iosif Klein Medesan, "Tineti dreapta!" (Keep Right!), Romania libera (December 5, 2008);
35. Armand, Gosu, " Un electorat echilibrat si rezonabil"(A Fair and Reasonable Electorate), 22 (December 2-8, 2008)
36. Gabriel Klimowicz, "Solutia imorala, gata de guvemare" (The Immoral Solution, Ready to Govern), Gardianul (December 4, 2008);
37. Andrei Luca, Popescu, Revine la putere partidul unic?" (The Party-State Comes Back to Power?), Romania libera (December 15, 2008).
38. An economist by training, Stolojan began his career in the Central Planning Committee, the communist agency that set production targets for the command economy. In 1991, Stolojan became prime minister of a technocratic cabinet remembered for the nationalization of all hard-currency accounts of private firms operating in Romania. After briefly working for the World Bank, Stolojan became Liberal Party leader, in which capacity in 2004 he forged, together with then Democrat Liberal leader BSsescu, the electoral Truth and Justice Alliance. It was agreed that, if the Alliance won the elections, the Liberal leader would assume the presidency, while the Democrat Liberal leader would become prime minister. Just before the poll, Stolojan announced his withdrawal from politics, leaving room for Bǎsescu's presidential bid. Stolojan justified his withdrawal by invoking medical reasons, but soon afterwards his health problems disappeared. Stolojan and his Liberal supporters formed the splinter Liberal Democrat Party, which in early 2008 merged with the Democrats into the new Democrat Liberal Party. Before Stolojan joined the Democrat Liberals, BSsescu vehemently criticized him. In 2000, Bǎsescu declared that "in reality, Theodor Stolojan and Mugur Isarescu are Social Democrat Party [presidential] candidates ... two yes-men who will do everything to be nominated as Rime Ministers by Ion Iliescu."
39. See "Pacea odioasa de la Palatul Stirbei si tehnocratul scos din baie" (The Horrible Peace [Brokered] in the Stirbei Palace and the Just-Cleaned Technocrat), Andrei Badin Blog (December 9, 2008), available at www.badin.ro/2008/12/quotpacea-odioasaquot-de-la-palatul-stirbei-si-teh. htm, accessed December 22, 2008.
40. Alexandra-Livia Dordea and Cristina Botezatu, "TSiiceanu: PD-L si PRM coalitia rusinii" (Tǎriceanu: PD-L and PRM-The Shameful Coalition), Evenimentul Zilei (September 22, 2008
41. Cornel Ivanciuc, "Cel de-al treilea apel catre lichele" (The Third Appeal to Hirelings), Gardianul (December 24, 2008);
42. Mircea Marian, Patriciu Intra in nguvemul Boc" (Patriciu Enters the Boc Cabinet), Evenimentul Zilei (December 23, 2008).
43. Silviu Sergiu, "Romania celor cu 70% sustinere in Parlament" (Romania of Those with 70% Support in Parliament), Evenimentul Zilei (December 22, 2008
44. Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, "Cat de eficienta e solutia imorala?" (How Efficient Is the Immoral Solution?), Romania libera (December 11, 2008
45. The party that claimed one post could not claim its pair. For example, the party that claimed the Minister of Interior position had to renounce the Ministry of Justice. Environment was paired with Regional Development; Exterior with Public Administration; Health Care with Education; Finance with Economy; and Transport with Agriculture. Cristian Sutu, "PDL si PSD isi impart cu pixul in mana 3 000 de functii" (PDL and PSD Divide Among Themselves 3,000 Positions), Cotidianul (December 11, 2008
46. The Democrat Liberals nominated fourteen prefects and the Social Democrats seventeen, each party receiving five more positions in counties where the County Council president belonged to some other party. Florin Ciomei and Anca Simina, "PSD si PDL s-au inteles: baronii isi aleg prefectii" (PSD and PDL Have Agreed: Local Barons Will Nominate the Prefects), Evenimentul Zilei (December 13, 2008
47. Irina Chiroiu, "Patatii de la Guvemare" (The Tainted Who Rule Us), Ziua (January 12, 2009)
48. Cristian Ghinea, "Saracul domn Boc" (Poor Mr. Boc), Romania libera (December 24, 2008
49. Anca Rascutoi, "Guvemul Emil Boc in alb si negru" (The Emil Boc Cabinet in Black and White), 22 (December 23, 2008)
50. Anca Rascutoi, "Guvemul Emil Boc in alb si negru" (The Emil Boc Cabinet in Black and White), 22 (December 23, 2008) Ibid.
51. Cristian Sutut and Adriana Dutulescu, "Secretarii de stat, alesi din lotul refuzat de DNA şi de alegǎtori" (Deputy Ministers Were Nominated from Among Those Rejected by the DNA and the Electorate), Cotidianul (January 12, 2009)
52. "Bǎsescu: Guvernul este rezultatul unui compromis politic care nu compromite" (Bǎsescu: The Cabinet Is the Result of an Uncompromising Political Compromise), Romania libera (December 22, 2008
53. Raul Balogh, "Se anunta lupte grele intre PDL si PSD in Parlament" (There Will Be Fights Between PDL and PSD in Parliament), Cotidianul (January 4, 2009
54. http://stiri.kappa.ro/exteme/sondaje-opinie-geoana-cotroceni/stire- 202161.html, www.ziare.com/articole/sondaj+de+opinie