Liberal strategies
The National Liberal Party in Romania has recently celebrated its 140th anniversary
România Internațional, 25.05.2015, 14:12
On this occasion, the new leadership approved the party’s political
platform and a number of changes to the integrity requirements laid down in the
party statutes.
On the 24th of May 2015, the Liberal Party celebrated its
140th anniversary.
Its name is linked to many important events in Romania’s modern
history, such as the installation of constitutional monarchy, the acquisition
of the state independence, Romania’s becoming a kingdom, the war of unification
and the creation of Greater Romania, the adoption of the 1923 constitution and
the economic recovery after the 1929-1933 crisis.
At this time, liberalism became the ideological foundation of modern
Romania. After the installation of the communist regime and Romania’s becoming
a republic on the 30th of December 1947, the Liberal Party was
banned and its leaders sent to prison, where many died, while others were
forced into exile. Following the collapse of the communist regime in December
1989, Romania’s oldest party was revived in January 1990 at the initiative of
12 of its old members. For the following 25 years, the party had a troubled
existence.
On the 24th of May 2015, the co-president of the party,
Alina Gorghiu, said the new and old National Liberal Party is a force to be
reckoned with in Romanian politics and will be the strongest party in Romania
for many years to come. On the same day, the party’s National Council adopted
its political platform entitled National Rebuilding, whose goal is to act on
the principles and goals of the platform that saw president Klaus Iohannis win
last November’s presidential elections. Its priorities are education,
healthcare, culture and economic recovery.
The Liberals propose, among others, the allocation of 6% of the GDP
to education and healthcare, a 16% flat tax for all types of taxes and duties,
the revision of the taxes and duties that are not part of the Fiscal Code (the
so-called parafiscal charges) and their reduction by at least 50% within
three years. The Liberal Party thus wishes to convince other parties in
Parliament to join them and break up the current coalition formed around the
Social Democratic Party. The co-president of the party Alina Gorghiu said talks
would be initiated with other parties to agree on a no-confidence motion
against the current government, which the party plans to submit on 5th
of June.
The Liberal Party also adopted a number of changes to the integrity
requirements laid down in its statutes. As a result, Liberal members who
receive a first instance sentence in court will lose their position within the
party, while those who receive a final sentence will also be stripped of their
membership.
