Romania’s three-year ruling coalition fell apart on Monday following a controversial ruling by the country’s top court banning a populist candidate from standing in the presidential election.
The Constitutional Court invalidated the candidacy of pro-Russian politician and MEP Diana Sosoaca on Saturday, a move that apparently benefits the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the upcoming presidential ballot.
The junior center-right Liberal Party strongly criticized the development, saying the court was stacked with judges appointed by the Social Democrats. Commentators say Mrs Sosoaca’s votes would go to the Social Democrats and their allies in the ballot.
On Monday, Liberal Party chairman Nicolae Ciucă, who’s also running for president, said: “the coalition with the PSD stops here.”
He said the Liberals would nominally remain in government “to prevent a complete escalation of the abuses” committed by the Social Democrats.
He said he would not specifically comment on the ruling, but said “the consequences…raise a big question mark regarding democracy in Romania.”
“ For the first time in Romania’s history, a majority of 5 judges, 4 of whom were appointed by the PSD, decided that someone could not run. Basically, a political opponent was eliminated at the green table,” Mr. Ciuca said, according to News.ro.
“I’m not worried about whether PSD enjoys eliminating a political opponent, but that the PSD commits an abuse of power and the idea of a one-party state is in its DNA.”
President Klaus Iohannis brought the Social Democrats and National Liberal Party together in a coalition with a junior Hungarian partner in Nov. 2021, as Russia massed troops on Ukraine’s border. Romania shares a long border with Ukraine.
The move, unpopular with some, was designed to create stability in the region that was threatened by war and an impending refugee crisis.
Ideologically opposed on some issues, the Liberals have periodically accused the Social Democrats of violating democratic principles particularly regarding the rule of law..
“Today they eliminate one candidate, tomorrow another, the day after tomorrow they close press institutions, and in the end they politically subordinate the entire Romanian state. I will make sure that this will not happen, and Romania will not fall totally into the hands of the PSD,” Mr. Ciuca said.
He said the Liberals would remain in government as the “the guardians of democracy and freedom”.
There was no immediate reaction from the Social Democrats.
Romania holds presidential elections on Nov.24 with a runoff two weeks later if no candidate secures a majority of votes.
Pro-Russian populist politician banned from running for president in Romania
