A New Right for a new Europe? Basescu, the Democrats and Romania’s centre-right

This paper examines the development trajectory of Romania’s Democrat Party and explores the reasons for its growth to its current position as the country’s largest centre-right party. While opponents brand the party as no more than a populist vehicle for its de facto leader, state president, Traian Basescu, there appears to be more coherence and depth to its development than first meets the eye.

The party has successfully crafted political appeals for a ‘post-transition’ electorate: moderate nationalism; political and economic modernisation; and improved public
service delivery. Running through each of these has been a focus on tackling corruption (a proxy for anti-Communism) and an incongruous intertwining of the cult of victimhood and of strong leadership. Narratives, though, play only a part in explaining the Democrats’ success – shared roots in political pragmatism, exploitation of political skills and a focus on organisation and party discipline have
also helped ensure the formation has survived and grown.

It may be too early to tell whether the Democrats can been seen as a case-study of success for centre-right parties in Central and Eastern Europe but the party’s approach at least tests some assumptions about both Romania’s post-Communist political development and theories about party systems in the region.