The Green Party, often shortened to The Greens is a Romanian political party centred on green politics. The Green Party is the only political party in Romania that is a member of the European Green Party. It is a full rights member of the European Green Party, represented by the Group of the Greens in the European Parliament. The Green Party in Romania has one vote in EGP Council, the leading European Greens' Leadership Group, which meets twice a year.
History
The Green Party was founded in November 2005 by Gheorghe Ionicescu, after the merger of FER and AP was revoked. Ecologist Federation of Romania was previously founded in 1990 and is the predecessor of the Green Party. He participated in the presidential election in 2009, supporting the candidacy of Remus Cernea. Also in 2009, Ionicescu died, and Silviu Popa was appointed as a chairperson of the Green Party to replace Ionicescu. Popa was validated at the party congress on September 26, 2009 and resigned in early 2012. On March 19–21, 2010, at the 12th Meeting of the European Green Party Council held in Barcelona, where the Greens of Romania proposed the resolution titled “The need for European legislation against cyanide mining ” The resolution was adopted by the plenary of the European Greens Council. At the Congress of January 14, 2012, Ovidiu-Cristian Iane was elected as a chairperson of the Green Party. At the local elections held in 2012, the Green Party gained 2 mayors and 124 local councilors, with 0.87% of the votes at national level. In the 2012, at the parliamentary elections, the Green Party had two MPs on the USL lists. On April 13, 2013, the MP Ovidiu Iane announced his resignation from the Green Party and adherence to the PSD. On May 13, 2013, in the context of the public debate on the exploration and exploitation of shale gas, the Green Party is drifted apart the SLU's position and remains consistent with environmental principles, according to the press release: "We oppose to the shale gas, mining operations at Rosia Montana, we are extremely concerned that within the SLU there are more and more opinions and intentions to go ahead, to move towards such projects on shale gas and cyanide. Under these conditions, we cannot continue the collaboration with SLU because we would support such a political direction. "
Policies
Despite its support for environmental causes, such as reforestation and reductions in carbon emissions, the Green Party also advocates some free-market policies, such as the privatisation of state-owned enterprises. It supports an extension in individual rights as well as greater separation of church and state, including a gradual removal of all state funding for religious institutions. Like the vast majority of Romanian political parties, it is supportive of European integration. It is the Romanian party that is most supportive of LGBT rights, supporting same-sex marriage and civil partnerships, as well as measures to reduce homophobia in schools and society at large. It supported a boycott of the 2018 Romanian constitutional referendum which attempted to ban same-sex marriage.
Electoral history
Legislative elections
Notes: 1CDR members in 1992: PNȚCD, :ro:Partidul Alianța Civică|PAC, :ro:Partidul Național Liberal-Convenția Democrată|PNL-CD, :ro:Partidul Național Liberal-Aripa Tânără|PNL-AT and PSDR, PER and Ecologist Federation of Romania ; the latter did not managed to have any mandates.
2 CDR members in 1996: PNȚCD, PNL, :ro:Partidul Național Liberal-Convenția Democrată|PNL-CD, :ro:Uniunea Forțelor de Dreapta|PAR, PER and Ecologist Federation of Romania.
3 CDR 2000: PNȚCD, :ro:Uniunea Forțelor de Dreapta|UFD, Ecologist Federation of Romania, National Christian Democratic Alliance and The Moldavians' Party.
4 FER previously merged with AP. The merger was revoked after the elections.
Notes: 1Emil Constantinescu was the common centre-right candidate that was endorsed by the Ecologist Federation of Romania in both 1992 and 1996 as part of the CDR.
