“We have a breakdown of classic parties and disposable leaders”

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The failure of the PSD and PNL candidates in the 2024 presidential elections underlines the trend that also manifests itself in Romania: “traditional”/”mainstream” parties are losing traction. Over time, they risk becoming irrelevant.

Radu Enache, specialist in political communication, claims that PSD and PNL no longer represent almost anyone, apart from party members.

“We have a breakdown of classic parties and disposable leaders. Classical parties primarily united interests. A liberal party, at least, from the first half of the century. XX and the last decades of the XIX century. For example, PNL represented the interests of some industrialists, bankers, people with capital, Romanian capital. We no longer have Romanian capital or industry.

Romania was too small in the last 40-50 years to become a world player. Ceaușescu wanted to, but he couldn’t, he tried on the backs of the people, who suffered privations”, said the analyst, for Ziare.com.

Western trend, also reached Romania. “The role of the old, ideological parties needs to end”

In the context of the European parliamentary elections in the spring of this year, the political scientist Andrei Țăranu warned for Ziare.com that for PSD and PNL, the end is fast approaching.

“If we do a long-term analysis we can look at examples like Italy, Spain and France. Historically, the role of the old, ideological parties needs to end. They are now governed by parties that did not exist some time ago. We also see in Germany how the ratio and the emergence of new parties are changing with incredible speed. In France, 7-8 years ago, the Renaissance party, which was called En Marche, did not exist. Mainstream parties have disappeared.

If you look at the term a reasonable time, these parties will no longer exist. They will be replaced, most likely, by another type of parties. The dynamics of political parties in a contemporary context, in which the new media have appeared, new formations between citizens and politicians, will completely change the balance of forces, a historical law, quite simply”, declared the university.

Even the former heads of big parties can no longer find their place. Case study: Mircea Geoană

Radu Enache draws attention both to the fall into irrelevance of some parties and, at the same time, to the disappearance of some political leaders, who once led the “traditional” parties.

“No party leader has survived the moment he was removed from power. Neither in the PSD, nor in the PD, anywhere. In the end, the failure of Mircea Geoană was a failure of this type. Mircea Geoană and his supporters thought he was coming to Romania on a white horse, all the PSD-ists came out and cheered him. His surprise and collapse in Sunday’s election was due to the fact that party members rejected him,” Enache said, for Ziare.com.

Mircea Geoană finished in 6th place in the presidential elections, with only 6%, after Georgescu, Lasconi, Ciolacu, Simion and Ciucă.