Social Democratic Party (Romania)

The Social Democratic Party (Romanian: Partidul Social Democrat, PSD) is the largest political party in Romania. It is also the largest social democratic^[30][31] political party in the country. It was founded by Ion Iliescu, Romania's first democratically elected president at the 1990 Romanian general election.^{[32][33][34][35][36]} It is currently part of the National Coalition for Romania (CNR), which is a big tent grand coalition comprising also the National Liberal Party (PNL). The CNR formerly included the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ) until mid June 2023.

Social Democratic Party Partidul Social Democrat
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	Mihai Tudose
Founders	FDSN:[1][lower-alpha 1] 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[2] PSD: Adrian Năstase Alexandru Athanasiu
Founded	10 July 1993; 31 years ago (1993-07-10) (as PSDR) 16 June 2001; 23 years ago (2001-06-16) (Current form)
Merger of	FDSN Republican Party Romanian Socialist Democratic Party Cooperative Party
Headquarters	Șoseaua Kiseleff 10, Bucharest
Student wing	League of Social Democratic Students[3]
Youth wing	Social Democratic Youth
Women's wing	OFSD
Membership (2015)	530,000[needs update]
Ideology	Social democracy[4][lower-alpha 2] Left-wing nationalism[7][8][9] Left-wing populism[9][10][11] Social conservatism[12][13][14] Christian left[15][16][17] Economic patriotism[18][19][20]
Political position	Centre-left to left-wing[lower-alpha 3][21][22][23]
National affiliation	Red Quadrilateral (1992–1996) Social Democratic Pole of Romania (2000–2004) National Union PSD+PUR (2004–2005) Alliance PSD+PC (2008–2009) Social Liberal Union (2011–2014) Centre Left Alliance (2012–2014) Social Democratic Union (2014–2019) National Coalition for Romania (2021–2024)
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance Socialist International
Colours	Red   White
Senate	49 / 136 [lower-alpha 4][24]
Chamber of Deputies	107 / 330 [lower-alpha 5][25]
European Parliament	11 / 33 [26]
Mayors	1,362 / 3,176 [27]
County Presidents	25 / 41 [28]
County Councilors	362 / 1,340 [27]
Local Council Councilors	13,820 / 39,900 [27]
Ministers	9 / 18 [29]
Party flag
Website
psd.ro
Politics of Romania Political parties Elections

It is a member of the Progressive Alliance (PA), which was founded in 2013,^[37] Socialist International (SI),^[38] and Party of European Socialists (PES).^[39] As of 2015, the PSD had 530,000 members.^{[40][needs update]}

PSD traces its origins to the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN), a leftist breakaway group established in 1992 from the center-left National Salvation Front (FSN) established after 1989. In 1993, this merged with three other parties to become the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (Romanian: Partidul Democrației Sociale in România, PDSR), also translated as the Social Democracy Party of Romania.^[41][42] The present name was adopted after a merger with the smaller Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR) in 2001.^[43]

Since its formation, it has always been one of the two dominant parties of the country. The PDSR governed Romania from 1992 to 1996, while the PSDR was a junior coalition partner between 1996 and 2000. The merged PSD was the senior party in the coalitions governing from 2000 to 2004, and from March 2014 to November 2015, as well as one of the main coalition partners between December 2008 and October 2009 (with the Democratic Liberal Party, PDL) and again between May 2012 and March 2014 (as part of the Social Liberal Union, USL). PSD left government after former prime minister, Victor Ponta resigned in November 2015, only for PSD to return as the senior governing party in January 2017, shortly after it achieved a major victory in the 2016 Romanian legislative election. The party remained in power at governmental level until 2019, before being voted down in the parliament and then endorsing a PNL minority government between 2019 and 2020. Subsequently, it entered opposition between 2020 and 2021, before eventually returning to government within the CNR coalition in late 2021.

Party founder Ion Iliescu is the only PSD candidate to become President of Romania, he served in office from the 1989 to 1996, and again from 2000 to 2004.

Currently, PSD is the largest party in the Parliament of Romania with initially 47 seats in the Senate of Romania and 110 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (as obtained at the 2020 Romanian legislative election), it also has the largest number of mayors, as well as the second largest number of local and county councillors and county presidents (after PNL), remaining the biggest and most influential political force in the country to the present day.^[44][45]

History

Following the 27–29 May 1992 Convention of the National Salvation Front (Romanian: Frontul Salvării Naționale, FSN) when Petre Roman became President of the Party, former Party Leader Ion Iliescu and his group of supporters withdraw from FSN and founded the Democratic National Salvation Front (Romanian: Frontul Democrat al Salvării Naționale, FDSN) while the rest of FSN was renamed as the Democratic Party (Romanian: Partidul Democrat) in May 1993.^[46]

During its first National Conference on the 28th of June 1992, FDSN decided on endorsing Ion Iliescu in the 1992 Romanian general election,^[47] which they later won and went on to govern Romania until 1996.^[43] On 10 July 1993, it took the name of Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) upon merger with the Socialist Democratic Party of Romania, the Republican Party, and the Cooperative Party.^[48][43]

The logo of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania

From 1992 to 1996, the PDSR ruled in coalition with the Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR) and Greater Romania Party (PRM), and the left-wing Socialist Party of Labour (PSM), nicknemed by the Press as the Red Quadrilateral. The PUNR had ministers in the cabinet chaired by Nicolae Văcăroiu from March 1992 to September 1996. The PRM was not present at the cabinet-level but was given some posts in the state administration but which it retracted when it left the coalition in 1995.^[49]

PDSR went into opposition after the 1996 Romanian general election, which was won by the right-wing coalition Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR).^[50]

After four years of governmental turmoil and economic downfall, poorly managed by the crumbling CDR, saw PDSR making a fulminant comeback, winning the 2000 Romanian general election, this time in a coalition named the Social Democratic Pole of Romania (PDSR) along with the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR, who was part of the government from 1996 to 2000, as a member of the Social Democratic Union, now led by Alexandru Athanasiu) and the Romanian Humanist Party (PUR). The PSDR merged with PDSR on 16 June 2001, and the resulting party took the PSD name, with PDSR/PSD leader Adrian Năstase becoming prime minister. The center-left Democratic Party (PD) was also invited by both Athanasiu and Năstase to join the new PSD, but PD president Traian Băsescu refused to take part in the merger.^[51][52][53] A controversial figure due to the corruption scandals in which he and his party were involved, Năstase is still regarded by both admirers and rivals (including his archrival Traian Băsescu),^[54] as the best and most efficient Romanian post-communist Prime Minister, being praised for his efforts of Euro-Atlantic integration of Romania and for the stabilization and modernization of the Romanian economy.^{[55][56][57][58]}

The former blue and white PSD logo, used between 2001 and 2006

In November 2004, Adrian Năstase, the PSD candidate and incumbent Prime Minister of Romania, won the first round of the presidential elections but did not have a majority and had to go to a second round of voting, which he narrowly lost to Traian Băsescu of the opposition Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), who became Romania's 4th president. In the 2004 Romanian general election, the PSD gained the largest share of the vote but because it did not have a majority, the other parties that managed to enter parliament, UDMR/RMDSZ and PUR, abandoned their respective pre-electoral agreements with the PSD and joined the Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), mainly at the pressure of Băsescu. Mircea Geoană was elected president of the party in April 2005 by delegates at a PSD Party Congress held in Bucharest. His victory represented a surprise defeat for Iliescu, who was expected to defeat Geoană with ease. On 17 April 2008, the PSD and the PC announced they would form a political alliance for the 2008 Romanian local elections.^[59]

In February 2010, the Congress elected Victor Ponta as president after Geoană lost the 2009 Romanian presidential election. On 5 February 2011, the PSD formed a political alliance known as the Social Liberal Union (USL) with the PC and the National Liberal Party (PNL).^[60] The USL was disbanded on 25 February 2014 with exit of the PNL, which entered the opposition.^[61]

In July 2015, Liviu Dragnea was elected by the Congress of the PSD as the new president of the party, with 97% of the votes from the members. He was elected as leader after the former prime minister Victor Ponta stepped down on 12 July 2015 following charges of corruption that were later dropped. On 12 April 2019, the PSD was suspended from the Party of European Socialists (PES) following concerns about judicial reforms of the Dăncilă Cabinet.^[62] In May 2019, after Liviu Dragnea's jailing, Viorica Dăncilă was elected by the Congress of the PSD as the new president of the party.

After being ousted from power in October 2019, the PSD also lost the 2019 Romanian presidential election. Such decline sent shockwase across the European Union (EU), especially the PES, as it resulted in their loss of power within von der Leyen Commission. Nonetheless, Daniel Hegedüs posited that this could be a win for both the PES and the wider European left, as the PES would regain credibility because "mounting authoritarianism in Hungary and Poland has suffered under the burden of PSD's rule-of-law record". In addition, Hegedüs noted the fact that this could represent another chance for the PSD to reform itself and change its ways.^[63]

In August 2020, Marcel Ciolacu became president of the party (after having previously served for this position only as ad interim between November 2019 and August 2020).^[64] During the same month, the PSD was willing to vote a motion of no confidence against the second Orban cabinet.^[44] Shortly after December 2020, while still the largest party in the wake of the 2020 Romanian legislative election, the PSD suffered significant political capital losses (as they previously did in the 2020 Romanian local elections as well) given the chaotic and negative governmental activity the party was responsible for during the former legislature (more specifically during the years 2017 and 2019), yet remained the biggest parliamentary opposition well up until the end of 2021.

During the 2021 Romanian political crisis, the PSD was again willing to have such a vote, this time against the Cîțu Cabinet,^[65] which it subsequently did,^[66] thereby contributing to its final dismissal.^[45] In November 2021, successful negotiations with the PNL led the PSD closer to returning government in the incumbent Ciucă Cabinet within a grand coalition government known as the National Coalition for Romania (or CNR for short).^[67] The PSD is still governing Romania as of early 2022, albeit with major tensions in the said grand coalition. The coalition has been described as authoritarian conservative.^[68][69]

In November 2022, the PSD agreed with the Moldovan European Social Democratic Party (PSDE) to begin a strategic partnership.^[70]

Predecessors and successors

Flowchart denoting the political evolution of PSD, from its origins in the FSN in 1990 until the year 2010, with political groups which were both integrated and seceded from the party throughout the passing of time.

Party splits

• Alliance for Romania (1997)
• National Union for the Progress of Romania (2010)
• Romanian Social Party (2015)
• United Romania Party (2015)
• PRO Romania (2018)
• Romanian Nationhood Party (2019)
• Alliance for the Homeland (2023)

Absorbed parties

• Republican Party (1993)¹
• Cooperative Party (1993)¹
• Romanian Socialist Democratic Party (1993)¹
• Romanian Social Democratic Party (2001)²
• Alliance for Romania (2002)
• Socialist Party of Labour (2003)
• Socialist Party of the National Renaissance (2003)
• Romanian Social Party (2018)
• United Romania Party (2019)

Notes

¹ After the merger, the party changed its name from the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN) to the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR).

² After the merger, the party changed its name from the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) to the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

Ideology and platform

Like its counterpart national-level members of the Party of European Socialists (PES), the PSD has a centre-left outlook and has been described as governing as centre-left,^[71][72][73] but has also been described as pragmatic,^[12] owing to its syncretic politics.^[12][8] The PSD was formed as a result of the merger of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR), which had an internationalist social-democratic ideology, with the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), whose governance was marked by a combination of social democracy, democratic socialism, labourism, pragmatism, left-wing populism, and nationalism.^[74] The 2003 absorption of the Socialist Party of Labour (PSM) and the Socialist Party of the National Renaissance (PSRN) led to the strengthening of the left-wing nationalism component within the party.^[75][76] Until 2021^{[77][78][79][80]} unlike the majority of Western European PES party members and as other like-minded centre-left, social democratic parties in Central and Eastern European post-Communism, it has taken a more soft Eurosceptic^[77] outlook,^[79][80][81] though it is neutral in regards to European integration.^[82] PSD stated that it endorses EU and NATO membership.^{[83][84][85][86][87]} The party is more conservative than PES when it comes to social issues,^[14][88][89] reflecting the country's social-conservative outlook,^[90] including in its centre-right counterpart, the National Liberal Party (PNL).^[13] It has been described as a left-wing nationalist^[8][91][9] and left-wing populist^[92][10][11] social democratic party.^[13][93][94]

The party has been described as having centre-left rhetoric and economic policies, while being more conservative on personal and ethical matters. According to Florin Poenaru, "the movement led by Ion Iliescu was from the very beginning the party of local capitalists and not of the industrial proletariat. ... PSD was the party that aggregated the interests of the autochthonous capitalists, but whose electoral basis was the former industrial proletariat."^[95] Poenaru states that PSD never said no to the neoliberal agenda but applied it rather slowly.^[95] Andrei Pleșu once stated that the main post-Communist Romanian parties do not act according to some ideology or doctrine.^[96]

Political analyst Radu Magdin said that the PSD is "a catch-all party: its values are conservative, its economic policy is liberal and it has a social, left-leaning rhetoric when it comes to public policies." An example is their calls for both tax cuts and pensions and wages increase in 2016.^[12] Its more conservative outlook is owed to the social-conservative nature of post-Communist countries, and has been adopted by both the centre-left (PSD) and the centre-right (PNL).^[97] For Cornel Ban, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Pardee School of Boston University, the PSD is an anomaly in Eastern Europe in that it was an ideal playground for right-wing populist parties but has seen the political left routinely win; this was in part because the political right and far-right were in government, including at the local level, during the post-Communist slumps which remained in the mind of many voters.^[13] Journalist Jean-Baptiste Chastand said that the PSD-led pro-European government in Romania took a national conservative turn.^[98] The historian Ioan Stanomir stated that PSD is a conservative party, that has nothing to do with the left,^[99] while journalist Bogdan Tiberiu Iacob described the party as progressive-conservative.^[83] PSD also opposed the mandatory refugee quotas.^{[100][101][102]} Journalist Daniel Mihăilescu labeled the party as national populist.^[103] Deutsche Welle stated that, unlike most European Social-democratic parties, PSD is against social progressivism and is strongly conservative.^[104] Journalist and philosipher Andrei Cornea also stated that PSD is not a social-democratic party, but a patrimonial-conservative one, structured around vassalism and clientelism, whose essential electoral pool is formed by a poor, ignorant and especially devoid of civic conscience.^[105] PSD has also ethno-nationalist factions.^[106] Under Dragnea's leadership, PSD has been described as national populist and sovereigntist.^[107][108] The PopuList labeled PSD under Victor Ponta and Liviu Dragnea as ultranationalist.^[109]

In regards to LGBT rights, in general, PSD opposes the recognition of same-sex marriages and civil partnerships. However, in 2018, then PSD president Liviu Dragnea hinted that PSD could support the recognition the civil partnership.^{[110][111][112]} Also, in January 2001, it was the PSD-dominated Adrian Năstase's government that adopted the Emergency Ordinance no. 89/2001,^[113] which eliminated Art. 200 of the Penal Code and adjusted other articles referring to sex offences to avoid discriminatory treatment of offenders, thus legalising same-sex relations.^[114] This ordinance came into force in January 2002, after President Ion Iliescu (the founder of PSD) signed the new law.^[115] However, the current president of the Social Democrats, Marcel Ciolacu, is a strong opponent to the recognition of same-sex marriage and the civil partnership.^[116][117]

The party has strong connections with the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR), reflecting the party's social conservatism.^{[118][119][120][121][122]}

Structure

President

The president of the party conducts the general activity of the party, the activity of the National Executive Committee and the National Permanent Bureau and responds to the Congress on the general work of the PSD. The president is elected by secret vote by the Congress for a four-year mandate and represents the party in the Romanian society, in relations with the central and local public authorities, as well as with other parties or organizations in the country or abroad.

Honorary President

PSD Honorary President is nominated by Congress for the four-year mandate of the party's recognized personalities. The Honorary President of the PSD participates with the right to vote in the work of the national governing bodies.

Secretary-General

The Secretary-General manages the functional services at the central level and the relationship with the county and Bucharest organizations. It coordinates the Executive Secretariat of the PSD with 7 to 9 executive secretaries. Executive secretaries shall be appointed by the National Executive Committee, on a proposal from the chair, after consulting the Secretary-General.

Permanent National Bureau

The Permanent National Bureau is the operative body for analyzing and deciding the party. It has the following composition: PSD President, PSD Honorary President, PSD Secretary General, PSD Deputy Chairpersons. At the National Permanent Bureau, the chairman of the National Council, the leaders of the parliamentary groups, the presidents of women and youth organizations, the treasurer, the director of the Social Democratic Institute, the representative of the county administrative council presidents, the mayors of municipalities and the representative of the National League of Mayors and PSD Councilors participate. The National Permanent Bureau meets weekly, usually Monday.

The Permanent National Bureau have the following duties:

• To organize and direct the entire activity of the party according to the decisions adopted as appropriate by the Congress, the National Council, and the National Executive Committee.
• Drafts draft decisions that it submits to the debate and adoption of the National Executive Committee.
• Orientates the work of parliamentary groups.
• Establishes and coordinates working committees on doctrine, electoral programs, and strategies.
• Establishes and co-ordinates political analysis groups of the economic, social, domestic and international situation.
• Manages the party's patrimony.

National Executive Committee

Coordinates the entire activity of the party between the meetings of the National Council. The PSD National Executive Committee analyzes, debates and decides on the fundamental issues of the Party's work on: the program, the electoral strategy, the political and electoral alliances, the governing program, the structure and the nominal composition of the Government, the validation of the party's preliminary election for the nomination of candidates for senators, MEPs, MEPs, and elected local, merging by absorption or merging with other parties; PSD collaboration agreements with trade unions and employers' confederations; the strategy of selecting, preparing, training and promoting the party's human resources, organizing and conducting internal party choices, coordinating the activities of the Youth Organization and the Women's Organization.

The adopted decisions are validated by the National Council. The National Executive Committee consists of PSD President, PSD Honorary President, PSD Secretary General, PSD Vice Presidents, President of the National Council, Presidents of County Organizations, Sectors and the Bucharest Municipality Organization, the president of the Women's Organization and the president of the Youth Organization.

National Council

Adrian Năstase during a meeting of the National Council in November 2013

The National Council is the governing body of the party in the interval between two congresses. It consists of a maximum of 751 members elected from the candidates nominated by the County and Bucharest Conferences, or proposed by the Congress. The National Council elects and revokes by secret vote the president of the National Council and the treasurer, validates the composition of the National Executive Committee and The Permanent National Bureau; decides to conclude political alliances as well as merge by merging or absorbing with other political parties or political parties; to hear the activity reports submitted by members of the Permanent National Bureau, by the Chairman of the Commission for Arbitration and Moral Integrity, by the president of the National Commission for Financial Control and Treasurer and decides accordingly on the basis of the mandate given by the Congress, according to the provisions of the Statute; is responsible for organizing presidential, parliamentary, euro-parliamentary and local electoral campaigns; analyzes the work of parliamentary groups, women's and youth organizations, the National League of Mayors and PSD Councilors; validates the decisions of the National Executive Committee on the Governance Program and confirms the proposals of members of the Government; resolve the appeals lodged against the decisions of the councils of the county organizations or of the Bucharest municipality; resolves the divergences between the Councils of the County Organizations, respectively the Bucharest Municipality Organization and the National Executive Committee in connection with the nomination of the candidates for the legislative elections, if they persist; approves the party's annual revenue and expenditure budget, decides on its execution.

The PSD National Council meets annually and whenever needed. Deputies, senators and MEPs who are not members of the National Council participate in its meetings without the right to vote. The National Council may decide, on a proposal from the Permanent National Bureau, to organize forums, leagues, associations, clubs and other such bodies for the promotion of strategies in the PSD Political Program, in the Romanian society and in partnership with the trade unions. The party-union relationship as well as the concrete ways of collaboration will be established by the National Permanent Bureau. Within the PSD there are: the National Workers' Forum; National Farmers Forum; National Ecologists' Forum; The National Forum of Scientists, Culture and Art and the Pensioners' League. In order to develop PSD programs and strategies in the field of party life, consultative councils can be set up on: political analysis, image and relations with the media; organization and human resources. The Consultative Council for the Problems of National Minorities of the PSD carries out activities to identify the specific problems faced by national minorities in Romania and develops appropriate solutions and proposals for their resolution.

Congress

The supreme governing party of the Social Democratic Party is the Congress, which is convened every four years or in extraordinary cases. The PSD Congress is made up of elected delegates by secret ballot by the County Conferences and the Bucharest Municipality and has the following attributions: adopting or modifying the PSD Statute and the Political Program of the Party; sets out the party's guidelines, strategy and tactics for the period between two congresses; elects the party chairman, the vice-presidents, the general secretary, the other members of the National Council, the National Commission for Arbitration and Moral Integrity and the National Commission for Financial Control; appoints the PSD candidate to the position of President of Romania and the prime minister in the event of winning the elections; resolves possible appeals against decisions of other PSD central bodies.

Party leadership

  Also served as President of Romania

  Also served as Prime Minister

  Also served as Chamber President

  Also served as Senate President

Nº	Name Birth–Death	Portrait	Term start	Term end	Duration
1	Ion Iliescu (1930–)		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–)		January 1997	20 December 2000	c. 4 years
3	Adrian Năstase1 (1950– )		20 December 2000	21 January 2005	4 years, 1 month and 1 day
4	Mircea Geoană (1958–		2005	2010	c. 5 years
5	Victor Ponta (1972–		21 February 2010	12 July 2015	5 years, 4 months and 21 days
—	Rovana Plumb (acting) (1960–		24 June 2015	22 July 2015	28 days
—	Liviu Dragnea (acting) (1962– )		22 July 2015	12 October 2015	2 months and 20 days
6	Liviu Dragnea (1962– )		12 October 2015	27 May 2019	3 years, 7 months and 15 days
7	Viorica Dăncilă (1963–		27 May 2019	26 November 2019	5 months and 30 days
—	Marcel Ciolacu (acting) (1967–		26 November 2019	22 August 2020	8 months and 27 days
8	Marcel Ciolacu (1967–		22 August 2020	Incumbent	4 years, 2 months and 14 days

Notes

¹ Năstase served twice as Chamber President, the first term from March 1992 to May 1996, while the second from December 2004 to March 2006.

Presidents

• Oliviu Gherman: 1992–1996 (FDSN/PDSR);
• Ion Iliescu: 1992, 1997–2000 (PDSR);
• Adrian Năstase: 2000–2005 (acting/ad interim until 2001) (PDSR/PSD);
• Mircea Geoană: 2005–2010 (PSD);
• Victor Ponta: 2010–2015 (PSD);
• Rovana Plumb: 2015 (acting/ad interim) (PSD);
• Liviu Dragnea: 2015–2019 (PSD);
• Viorica Dăncilă: 2019 (PSD);
• Marcel Ciolacu: 2019–present (acting/ad interim until 2020) (PSD).

Executive presidents

• Adrian Năstase: 1993–1997;
• position abolished 1997–2003;
• Octav Cozmâncă: 2003–2005;
• Adrian Năstase: 2005–2006;
• Dan Mircea Popescu [ro]: 2005–2006, when the office was dissolved (nominated acting/ad interim after the resignation of Adrian Năstase from the office);
• position abolished 2006–2013;
• Liviu Dragnea: 2013–2015;
• Valeriu Zgonea: 2015–2016;
• Niculae Bădălău [ro]: 2016–2018;
• Viorica Dăncilă: 2018–2019;
• Paul Stănescu: 2019 (acting/ad interim);
• Eugen Teodorovici: 2019;
• position abolished: 2019–present.

Notable members

Current notable members

• Ion Iliescu, founder of the party the party FDSN which then became PDSR and ultimately as PSD, former president of Romania, and Honorary President of PSD;
• Nicolae Văcăroiu, former prime minister of Romania;
• Alexandru Athanasiu, former acting prime minister;
• Viorel Hrebenciuc, former deputy;
• Eugen Bejinariu, former acting prime minister;
• Ilie Sârbu, former president of the Senate;
• Paul Stănescu, former deputy prime minister as well as Minister of Regional Development;
• Ecaterina Andronescu, former Minister of Education;
• Marcel Ciolacu, current president of the party since 2019 onwards;
• Gabriela Firea, former mayor of Bucharest;
• Titus Corlățean, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice;
• Rovana Plumb, MEP, Minister of Environment, Minister of Labour;
• Mihai Tudose, former prime minister of Romania;
• Sorin Grindeanu, former prime minister of Romania;
• Mihai Fifor, former acting prime minister of Romania;
• Dan Nica, former deputy and current MEP;
• Lia Olguța Vasilescu, Mayor of Craiova, Minister of Labour;
• Alexandru Rafila, current Health Minister.

Former notable members

• Gabriel Oprea, former army general (now general in army reserves), former Minister of National Defence, former deputy prime minister of Romania, former Minister of Internal Affairs, former acting prime minister of Romania;
• Corina Crețu, former European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms;
• Viorica Dăncilă, former president of the party, former prime minister of Romania;
• Adrian Năstase, former president of the party, former prime minister of Romania as well as former Minister of Foreign Affairs;
• Ilie Năstase, former No. 1 tennis player
• Teodor Meleșcanu, former Minister of Defence, former acting Minister of Justice, former Director of the Foreign Intelligence; Service (SRI), former Minister of Foreign Affairs three times, former president of the Senate;
• Robert Negoiță, former mayor of the 3rd Sector of Bucharest;
• Mircea Geoană, former president of the party, former president of the Senate as well as former Minister of Foreign Affairs;
• Sorin Oprescu, former mayor of Bucharest;
• Marian Vanghelie, former mayor of the 5th Sector of Bucharest;
• Radu Mazăre, former mayor of Constanța;
• Victor Ponta, former president of the party as well as former prime minister of Romania;
• Valeriu Zgonea, former president of the Chamber of Deputies;
• Liviu Dragnea, former president of the party as well as former president of the Chamber of Deputies;
• Oliviu Gherman, former president of the party as well as former president of the Chamber of Deputies;
• Șerban Valeca, acting president of the Senate;
• Hildegard Puwak, former Minister for European Integration;
• Antonie Iorgovan, lead author of the 1991 Romanian Constitution;
• Sebastian Ghiță, former member of the Chamber of Deputies;
• Cristian Diaconescu, former State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former Minister of Justice, former Minister of Foreign Affairs twice.

Election results

Legislative elections

Year	Chamber			Senate			Position	Aftermath
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
1992	3,015,708	27.72	117 / 341	3,102,201	28.29	49 / 143	1st  (as FDSN)	PDSR-PUNR-PRM-PSM government (1992–1996)
1996	2,633,860	21.52	91 / 343	2,836,011	23.08	41 / 143	2nd  (as PDSR)	Opposition to CDR-USD-UDMR government (1996–2000)
2000	3,968,464	36.61	139 / 345	4,040,212	37.09	59 / 140	1st  (within PDSR)1	PDSR minority government (2000–2004)
2004	3,730,352	36.61	113 / 332	3,798,607	36.30	46 / 137	1st  (within PSD+PUR)2	Opposition to DA-PUR3-UDMR government (2004–2007)
							Endorsing PNL-UDMR minority government (2007–2008)
2008	2,279,449	33.10	110 / 334	2,352,968	34.16	48 / 137	2nd  (within PSD+PC)4	PDL-PSD government (2008–2009)
							Opposition to PDL-UNPR-UDMR government (2009–2012)
							USL government (2012)
2012	4,344,288	58.63	149 / 412	4,457,526	60.10	58 / 176	1st  (within USL)5	USL government (2012–2014)
							PSD-UNPR-UDMR-PC government (2014)
							PSD-UNPR-ALDE government (2014–2015)
							Endorsing the technocratic Cioloș Cabinet (2015–2017)
2016	3,204,864	45.48	154 / 329	3,221,786	45.68	67 / 136	1st	PSD-ALDE government (2017–2019)
							PSD minority government (2019)
							Endorsing PNL minority government (2019–2020)
							Opposition to PNL minority government (2020)
2020	1,705,777	28.90	110 / 330	1,732,276	29.32	47 / 136	1st	Opposition to PNL-USR PLUS-UDMR government (2020–2021)
							Opposition to PNL-UDMR minority government (2021)
							CNR government (2021–present)
2024	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

Notes

¹Social Democratic Pole of Romania members: PDSR, PSDR (2 senators and 10 deputies), and PUR (4 senators and 6 deputies).
²National Union PSD+PUR members: PSD and PUR (11 senators and 19 deputies).
³Soon after the elections, PUR broke the alliance with the PSD and switched sides, joining the government led by the Justice and Truth Alliance (DA).
⁴Alliance PSD+PC members: PSD and PC (1 senator and 4 deputies).
⁵The Social Liberal Union (USL) was an alliance consisting of two smaller alliances, more specifically the Centre Left Alliance (ACS) and the Centre Right Alliance (ACD). The members of the Centre Left Alliance (ACS) were the PSD and the UNPR (5 senators and 10 deputies) whereas the members of the Centre Right Alliance (ACD) were the PNL (50 senators and 100 deputies) and the PC (8 senators and 13 deputies).

Local elections

Year	County councilors			Mayors			Local councilors			Popular vote	%	Position
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
1996	1,390,225	16.28	290 / 1,718	2,713,095	26.28	928 / 2,954	1,716,899	18.82	9,483 / 33,429	—	—	1st
2000	2,241,930	27.4	496 / 1,718	2,416,598	27.4	1,050 / 2,954	2,197,719	25.8	11,380 / 39,718	—	—	1st
2004	2,957,617	32.70	543 / 1,436	3,908,895	41.83	1,702 / 3,137	2,951,226	31.88	14,990 / 40,031	—	—	1st
2008	2,337,102	27.97	452 / 1,393	2,717,490	30.77	1,138 / 3,179	2,268,271	26.67	12,137 / 40,297	—	—	2nd
2012	4,203,007	49.68	723 / 1,338	2,782,792	33.99	1,292 / 3,121	2,630,123	32.74	12,668 / 39,121	—	—	1st  (as USL)
2016	3,270,909	39.60	638 / 1,434	3,330,213	38.98	1,708 / 3,186	3,161,046	37.70	16,969 / 40,067	—	—	1st
2020	1,605,721	22.32	362 / 1,340	2,262,791	30.34	1,362 / 3,176	2,090,777	28.40	13,820 / 39,900	—	—	2nd
2024	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

Year	County presidents			Position
	Votes	%	Seats
1992	—	—	30 / 41	1st  (as FSN)
1996	—	—	17 / 41	1st
2000	—	—	29 / 41	1st
2004	—	—	19 / 41	1st
2008	2,234,465	28.06	17 / 41	1st
2012	4,260,709	49.71	22 / 41	1st  (within USL)
2016	—	—	28 / 41	1st
2020	1,663,399	22.86	20 / 41	1st
2024	—	—	25 / 41	1st

County council elections

Election	County	Percentage	Councillors	+/-	Aftermath
2020	Alba	16.61%	6 / 32	3	Opposition
2020	Arad	9.89%	3 / 32	8	Opposition
2020	Argeș	44.78%	17 / 34	3	PSD minority
2020	Bacău	42.25%	17 / 36		PSD
2020	Bihor	15.54%	6 / 34	3	Opposition
2020	Bistrița-Năsăud	40.62%	14 / 30	3	PSD-PMP
2020	Botoșani	40.13%	15 / 32	3	PSD
2020	Brăila	47.97%	17 / 30	3	PSD majority
2020	Brașov	19.35%	8 / 34	3	Opposition
2020	Bucharest	32.38%	21 / 55	3	Opposition
2020	Buzău	57.68%	21 / 32	1	PSD majority
2020	Călărași	45.09%	15 / 30	3	PSD minority
2020	Caraș-Severin	27.51%	10 / 30	4	PSD-PMP
2020	Cluj	13.32%	5 / 36	7	Opposition
2020	Constanța	23.01%	10 / 36	6	Opposition
2020	Covasna	5.73%	2 / 30	1	Opposition
2020	Dâmbovița	43.66%	17 / 34	5	PSD majority
2020	Dolj	39.66%	16 / 36	9	PSD-PRO-PER
2020	Galați	39.73%	17 / 34	2	PSD majority
2020	Giurgiu	33.20%	12 / 30	8	Opposition
2020	Gorj	42.95%	16 / 32		PSD majority
2020	Harghita	7.76%	3 / 30		Opposition
2020	Hunedoara	43.80%	17 / 32	1	PSD majority
2020	Ialomița	37.27%	14 / 30	4	PSD-PNL
2020	Iași	24.49%	10 / 36	7	Opposition
2020	Ilfov	12.81%	5 / 32	7	Opposition
2020	Maramureș	25.14%	10 / 34	9	Opposition
2020	Mehedinți	45.58%	15 / 30	3	PSD majority
2020	Mureș	17.87%	7 / 34	3	Opposition
2020	Neamț	35.76%	13 / 34	4	Opposition
2020	Olt	54.44%	21 / 32	2	PSD majority
2020	Prahova	31.59%	11 / 36	5	Opposition
2020	Sălaj	27.89%	10 / 30	2	Opposition
2020	Satu Mare	14.00%	5 / 32	4	Opposition
					UDMR-PSD-PMP
2020	Sibiu	13.90%	5 / 32	7	Opposition
2020	Suceava	30.47%	13 / 36	3	Opposition
2020	Teleorman	39.37%	15 / 32	3	Opposition
2020	Timiș	15.02%	7 / 36	9	Opposition
2020	Tulcea	34.35%	12 / 30	2	Opposition
2020	Vâlcea	41.69%	16 / 32	2	PSD-PER
2020	Vaslui	39.11%	14 / 34	6	PSD
2020	Vrancea	41.91%	15 / 32	3	PSD

Mayor of Bucharest elections

Year	Candidate	First round			Second round
		Votes	Percentage	Position	Votes	Percentage	Position
1996	Ilie Năstase	—	30.38%	2nd	—	43.26%	2nd
2000	Sorin Oprescu	260,689	41.16%	1st	353,038	49.31%	2nd
2004	Mircea Geoană	225,774	29.74%	2nd	—
2008	Cristian Diaconescu	67,251	12.33%	3rd	not qualified
2012	Sorin Oprescu1	430,512	53.79%	1st	—
2016	Gabriela Firea	246,553	42.97%	1st	single-round elections
2020	Gabriela Firea	250,690	37.97%	2nd	single-round elections
2024	Gabriela Firea	163,147	22.34%	2nd	single-round elections

Note

¹Independent candidate endorsed by the USL

Presidential elections

Year	Candidate	First round			Second round
		Votes	Percentage	Position	Votes	Percentage	Position
1990	Ion Iliescu	12,232,498	85.0%	1st	—
1992	Ion Iliescu	5,633,465	47.5%	1st	7,393,429	61.4%	1st
1996	Ion Iliescu	4,081,093	32.3%	1st	5,914,579	45.6%	2nd
2000	Ion Iliescu	4,076,273	36.4%	1st	6,696,623	66.8%	1st
2004	Adrian Năstase	4,278,864	40.9%	1st	4,881,520	48.8%	2nd
2009	Mircea Geoană	3,027,838	31.1%	2nd	5,205,760	49.7%	2nd
2014	Victor Ponta	3,836,093	40.4%	1st	5,264,383	45.6%	2nd
2019	Viorica Dăncilă	2,051,725	22.3%	2nd	3,339,922	33.9%	2nd
2024	Marcel Ciolacu	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

European Parliament elections

Year	Votes	%	MEPs	Position	EU party	EP group
Jan. 2007	—	34.28	12 / 35	1st	PES	S&D
Nov. 2007	1,184,018	23.11	10 / 35	2nd	PES	S&D
2009	1,504,218	31.07	10 / 33	1st  (within PSD+PC)1	PES	S&D
2014	2,093,237	37.60	12 / 32	1st  (within USD)2	PES	S&D
2019	2,040,765	22.51	9 / 32	2nd	PES	S&D
2024[123]	4,341,686	48.55	11 / 33	1st  (within CNR)3	PES	S&D

Notes

¹Alliance PSD+PC members: PSD and PC (1 MEP).
²Social Democratic Union (USD) members: PSD, PC (2 MEPs), and UNPR (2 MEPs).
³National Coalition for Romania members: PSD (11 MEPs) and PNL (8 MEPs).

Controversies

Political opponents have criticised PSD for harbouring former Romanian Communist Party (PCR) officials, and for allegedly attempting to control the Romanian mass media. By 2009, a number of its incumbent or former senior members have also been accused of corruption, interfering in the judiciary and using their political positions for personal enrichment.^[124] As of 2015, founding member Ion Iliescu is facing prosecution on charges of crimes against humanity for his role in the June 1990 Mineriad,^[125] while former president Liviu Dragnea was convicted for electoral fraud and for instigation to the abuse of public office and being indicted for forming an "organised criminal group" in 2018.^[126] That same year, former president Victor Ponta had also been investigated for corruption but was ultimately acquitted.^[127] Adrian Năstase temporarily self-suspended himself from the position on 16 January 2006, pending investigation of a scandal provoked by his wealth declaration, where he was accused of corruption.^[128] Alleged text transcripts of PSD meetings surfaced on an anonymous website just before the 2004 Romanian general election. Năstase and his ministers are shown talking about political involvement in corruption trials of the government's members, or involvement in suppressing "disobedient" media. Năstase stated that the transcripts were fake, but several party members, including former PSD president and former foreign minister Mircea Geoană, have said they are genuine, though Geoană later retracted his statement.^[129] Security expert Iulian Fota stated that PSD is a neocommunist anti-Western party backed by Russia.^[130]

Politicians of the party have occasionally employed "utilitarian anti-Semitism", meaning that politicians who may usually not be antisemites played off certain antisemitic prejudices in order to serve their political necessities.^[131] On 5 March 2012, PSD Senator Dan Șova, at that time the party spokesman, said on The Money Channel that "no Jew suffered on Romanian territory, thanks to marshal Antonescu."^[132] Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust in Romania expressed its deep disagreement and indignation over the statements of the spokesman of the party.^[133] Following public outcry, Șova retracted his statement and issued a public apology; nevertheless, the chairman of the party, Victor Ponta, announced his removal from the office of party spokesman.^[134]

Between 2017 and 2019, the party, along with its former junior coalition partners, more specifically the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ), had unsuccessfully tried to pass a series of tremendously controversial laws related to the judicial system. In a 2018 preliminary opinion, the Venice Commission stated that the changes could severely undermine the independence of judges and prosecutors in Romania.^[135] This unsuccessful endeavour committed by the former PSD–ALDE coalition was the basis for the nationwide 2017–2019 Romanian protests,^[136] the largest in the country's entire history thus far.^[137]

See also

• Politics of Romania

Notes

1. The people who registered the party
2. Some argue that, in practice, the Social Democratic Party has little in common with social democracy, despite the party's official stance.^[5][6]
3. Also sometimes described as a catch-all party
4. 1 senator from PUSL in PSD parliamentary group
5. 4 deputies from PUSL in PSD parliamentary group

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