2012 Romanian parliamentary election
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All 176 seats in the Senate All 412 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 89 and 207 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 41.76% ( 2.56pp) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
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Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 9 December 2012. The Social Liberal Union (USL) co-led by former Prime Minister Victor Ponta won an absolute majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. At the time of the elections, despite the severe weather in several parts of the country, the turnout was approximately 42%, slightly higher than the last parliamentary elections held in 2008 which saw a turnout of 39%.
The Social Liberal Union (USL) obtained a huge majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, with 60% and 59% respectively of the votes and in MP mandates, namely a record number of 395 seats. Far behind, the Right Romania Alliance (ARD) came in second place with only 17% of the vote and 80 seats, losing about half of what they won as the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) in 2008.
The ARD was officially dissolved after the elections.
Background
Protests
Following weeks of demonstrations against
The government announced the intention to hold parliamentary and
Motion of no confidence
The political alliance Social Liberal Union (USL), at that time comprising the three parties PSD, PNL, and PC, initiated and succeeded to vote a motion of no confidence against Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu and his cabinet on 27 April 2012 after just two months in office. Afterwards, former President Traian Băsescu nominated then opposition leader and president of the Social Democratic Party, Victor Ponta as Prime Minister.[2]
Electoral system
In May 2012, the new USL government passed an electoral law in parliament, which changed the election system to a single-round FPTP system without the 5% electoral threshold[3] with extra seats for minorities, both ethnic minorities and Romanian minorities. However, after PDL, fearing poor results in the elections ahead because of it[citation needed], appealed the Constitutional Court of Romania who invalidated the law on 27 June 2012 and reinstated the old one.[4] A consequence of this is that after the 2012 parliamentary elections the size of the new Parliament grew to a record total number of 588, an added 117 seats than in the last parliament: 39 supplementary
Party standings and political alliances
In late 2010, the
For the
Opinion polling
The PDL centred ARD alliance was formed late after the 2012 Romanian presidential impeachment referendum. As a result, some opinion polls do not include the ARD. Opinion polls that show PDL do not show ARD.
The UNPR joined USL in August–September 2012, in a sceptical environment. As a result, some opinion polls showed both political entities. The PNG-CD leader George Becali joined the PNL and ran backed by the USL in Bucharest. Furthermore, his former party did not propose any candidates for this election.
Polling Firm | Date | Source | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USL | ARD | PDL | PP-DD | UDMR | PRM | PNG-CD | UNPR | Others | Undecided | |||
IMAS | 6 September 2012 | [1] | 57.1% | N/A | 17.8% | 14.1% | 5.8% | 3% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 1.3% | N/A |
CSCI | 9 September 2012 | [2] | 62% | N/A | 19% | 11% | 4% | 2% | N/A | N/A | 2% | N/A |
CSOP | 15 September 2012 | [5][6] | 50% | N/A | 21% | 12% | 5% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 5% | N/A |
49% | 24% | N/A | 14% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 2% | N/A | |||
IMAS | 27 September 2012 | [3] | 55% | N/A | 17.8% | 15.5% | 5.3% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.3% | 3% | N/A |
CSCI | 28 September 2012 | [4] | 58% | 16% | N/A | 18% | 5% | 2% | 1% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Avangarde | 21 November 2012 | [5] | 62% | 15% | N/A | 14% | 3% | 2% | 1% | N/A | 3% | N/A |
CCSB | 3 December 2012 | [6] | 62% | 17% | N/A | 10% | 5% | 2% | N/A | N/A | 4% | N/A |
Candidates
Out of the 12 contesting parties running for the
Results
The Social Liberal Union (USL) maintained majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Senate
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Social Liberal Union | 4,457,526 | 60.10 | 122 | +45 | |
Right Romania Alliance | 1,239,318 | 16.71 | 24 | −27 | |
People's Party – Dan Diaconescu | 1,086,822 | 14.65 | 21 | New | |
Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 388,528 | 5.24 | 9 | 0 | |
Greater Romania Party | 109,142 | 1.47 | 0 | 0 | |
Hungarian People's Party of Transylvania | 58,765 | 0.79 | 0 | New | |
Ecologist Party of Romania | 58,335 | 0.79 | 0 | 0 | |
People's Party | 11,681 | 0.16 | 0 | New | |
Socialist Alliance Party | 2,171 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
Popular and Social Protection Party | 2,100 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
Workers' Social Democratic Party | 1,380 | 0.02 | 0 | New | |
National Democratic Christian Party | 132 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
Independents | 728 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 7,416,628 | 100.00 | 176 | +39 | |
Valid votes | 7,416,628 | 96.40 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 276,948 | 3.60 | |||
Total votes | 7,693,576 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 18,423,066 | 41.76 | |||
Source: BEC |
Chamber of Deputies
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Union of Turkish-Muslim Tatars | 9,291 | 0.13 | 1 | 0 | |
Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania | 8,677 | 0.12 | 1 | 0 | |
Community of the Lipovan Russians | 8,328 | 0.11 | 1 | 0 | |
Union of Serbs of Romania | 8,207 | 0.11 | 1 | 0 | |
Union of Poles of Romania | 8,023 | 0.11 | 1 | 0 | |
Association of Italians of Romania | 7,943 | 0.11 | 1 | 0 | |
Union of the Ukrainians of Romania | 7,353 | 0.10 | 1 | 0 | |
Democratic Turkish Union of Romania | 7,324 | 0.10 | 1 | 0 | |
Union of Croats of Romania | 6,281 | 0.08 | 1 | 0 | |
Cultural Union of Ruthenians of Romania | 5,265 | 0.07 | 1 | 0 | |
Socialist Alliance Party | 2,331 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
Popular and Social Protection Party | 929 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Workers' Social Democratic Party | 231 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
National Democratic Christian Party | 38 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
Independents | 12,389 | 0.17 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 7,409,626 | 100.00 | 412 | +78 | |
Valid votes | 7,409,626 | 96.31 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 283,653 | 3.69 | |||
Total votes | 7,693,279 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 18,423,066 | 41.76 | |||
Source: BEC |
Local referendums
Two local non-binding referendums were also organized on 9 December, concerning environmental issues.[7]
The first one took place in
The second referendum was held in the communes of
Incidents
Although a report by the OSCE stated the elections were administered "professionally and efficiently",
Dan Diaconescu, candidate from PP-DD in the same college of Chamber of Deputies in Târgu Jiu with Prime Minister Victor Ponta, is investigated for electoral bribery.[9] Authorities were notified after PSD representatives within Gorj County Council filed a complaint regarding the distribution of food and the organization of an electoral spectacle before the electioneering.[10] According to the Emergency Ordinance issued on 6 November by Ponta Cabinet, offering food, drink and money in the campaign is illegal.[11]
On 11 November, an old man from the commune of Mătăsari (Gorj County) had a heart attack shortly after a discussion in contradictory with PDL deputy Constantin Severus Militaru.[12] PDL deputy said that the old man was very indignant because his pension was not recalculated, although he had worked all his life in mining.[13]
The President of PDL Vrancea, Alin Trășculescu, was caught in the act by anticorruption prosecutors while receiving €50,000 from a businessman in the form of bribe.[14] He was detained for 24 hours for allegations of lobbyism, instigation to false and incitement to the misdemeanor of money laundering.[15] Alin Trășculescu was under the supervision of National Anticorruption Department for two years. He claimed he could get contracts with the State, from the Ministry of Development and Tourism, led then by Elena Udrea.
Notes
- ^ Pambuccian has been the parliamentary leader of the national minorities' group since 1996 onwards.
References
- ^ "First Victim of the 2012 elections: Right Romania dissolves right after election day". 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "Romanian government falls: Plus ça change... | EurActiv". Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ^ m.b.H., STANDARD Verlagsgesellschaft. "Radikales Wahlrecht beschlossen". derstandard.at. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ Timu, Andra (27 June 2012). "Romanian Constitutional Court Overturns Changes to Election Law". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Sondaj CSOP: Ponta şi Antonescu plătesc factura referendumului". Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ "pesurse.ro". Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ a b c "Lower than needed turnout for local referendums on environmental impact of projects in Romania". Romania Insider. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 28 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ "OSCE/ODIHR Election Expert Team Final Report" (PDF). 16 January 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ "Dan Diaconescu, investigated because he bribed voters with mititei and biscuits. The defendant answers: «Ponta is envious!»" Archived 15 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Evz.ro
- ^ "Dan Diaconescu, investigated for mititei and biscuits! Archived 14 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Libertatea.ro
- ^ "Government approved the Emergency Ordinance on offering food, drink and money in the campaign" Archived 9 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, HotNews.ro
- ^ "An old man from Gorj has died after a dispute with a PDL deputy" Archived 13 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Adevărul.ro
- ^ "First incident in the electioneering! Old man dead in Gorj after a dispute with a deputy!" Archived 14 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Libertatea.ro
- ^ "PDL deputy Alin Trășculescu, accused that demanded 150,000 euros bribe, to intervene in the government" Archived 14 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, România Liberă
- ^ "PDL deputy Alin Trășculescu, detained for 24 hours. DNA accused him of lobbyism, instigation to false in documents and money laundering", Gândul.info