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Short analysis of the local elections: the trend, in favour of USR Plus and against PSD
Local elections on Sunday demonstrate that ‘ a beginning for change’ has appeared and big parties must understand that they cannot win vote in 2020 or 2024 with the methods of the 90’s.These elections showed that the political stage of Romania has changed the trend in favour of USR- PLUS (Save Romanian Union (USR) - Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS) Alliance) and against PSD ((Social Democratic Party – opposition).
In Transylvania the political scene is already shaped. There is already strong competition between USR - PLUS and PNL which has led to the defeat of PNL (National Liberal Party) mayors (Timisoara and Brasov being the most important examples).
In Moldova, we are talking about a different issue, a very strong conflict between PSD and PNL which led to the fact that PSD has no longer domination on Moldova as before. The proof, the non-election of the baron of Vrancea Marian Oprisan as chairman of the County Council, position which he had for the last twenty years.
In the southern part of the country, with the exception of Bucharest, there were unpleasant surprises for PSD, the party which dominated the area over the last decades. For example, PSD had a very weak scoring for Olguta Vasilescu in Craiova, she being voted by approximately 1/3 of those who came to vote. She managed to win only due to the division between PNL and USR – PLUS. Another example is the defeat in Constanta, the PSD’s fief over the last years where their candidate lost the battle, the position being taken by a PNL member.
But, what needs to be mentioned is the vote in the big cities is not the vote of Romania as Romania is extremely diverse and the gaps are very deep. In the poor areas, in the areas kept in poverty the change has not happened. There where basic needs were not satisfied, there was a ‘traditional ‘ vote, namely the vote was in favour of the local power PSD. So it happened in the southern counties: Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Calarasi. The south is still the domain of conservative PSD for the reason that it is the poorest area. And this is obvious in the way people vote. People do not understand what highways are, what infrastructure of quality might mean. They are interestd in basic needs and they cannot be blamed, what is to blame is the vision of the local decision-makers, who wanted to keep them under control and make them dependent on social aid.
During this time, USR has come with ‘new faces’ , with their youth, with their expertise from private area and the Romanians seem to say ‘ that’s what we want’. The society has changed profoundly with this generation which wants to be represented.
( Political map of Romania: Red- PSD; Yellow: PNL+USR-Plus: Green: the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania - UDMR )