Comments on: Romania’s Presidential Election: The Aftermath

By: Bucharest Life | Say it loud: We’re immigrants and we’re proud! | Bucharest

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 06:00:54 +0000

[...] Romania has never had a real problem with immigration. It is migration, and the loss of its brightest and best (as well as a few of its less impressive citizens) have in recent times been far bigger problems. Recent elections have not featured immigration as an issue: instead Romania’s political parties have sought to attract the diaspora home. (And do not forget, it was the diaspora vote that tilted the last presidential vote in Traian Basescu’s favour). [...]

By: Bucharest Life | Esoteric Energy & Purple Flames: Romanian politics goes officially lunatic | Romania

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:46:33 +0000

[...] really couldn’t make it up: wife of defeated presidential candidate Mircea Geoana appeared on television on Saturday night to reveal that during the election campaign (especially [...]

By: Andy H

Andy H — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:59:09 +0000

Valentin – it’s an interesting analysis, but somewhat flawed. I have no idea what drove Transylvanian Romanians to vote for Basescu, but under your theory, the Hungarians should have voted en masse for Geoana, and pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to most certainly did not. The idea of Johannis as PM was very appealing of course, but since the PSD has been peddling a Romanian nationalist line for some time now (this election notwithstanding), the sense here in Harghita at least was that while Basescu would never do anything to help Hungarians, at least he is “neutral” on the issue. Geoana and the PSD, on the other hand, are seen as definitely anti-Hungarian. I’d say therefore that Hungarian voters split three ways – those who didn’t vote in the second round because they could find nothing to vote for (that would be the majority), those that voted Basescu to keep out the PSD (the second most popular option), and those that voted Geoana because the UDMR told them too and they always do what they’re told by the UDMR (a small minority)

And honestly, I’d be surprised if there was a lot of Romanian nationalist fear in the anti-Geoana vote. If they’d been proposing a Hungarian, sure, but a German? I can’t see it, honestly.

I read the figures regarding the geographic vote split as being down to the fact that PSD organisation is huge and well-organised on the ground in the south and in Moldova, whereas in Transylvania it really isn’t – even in the villages.

After the first round when the geographic split was already obviously Transylvania & Bucharest for Basescu, the rest Geoana, there was also a stat that showed those with a university degree had split for Antonescu, those with a high school diploma for Basescu, and those without even a high school leaving certificate for Geoana. i’d love to see if there has been similar polls the second time around.

By: nashu_mare

nashu_mare — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 09:42:31 +0000

@Craig Turp:

You should multiply that period (13s) by 5, as there were 5 cabins inside every voting point (that comes up to somewhat over a minute for each person). You also should take into consideration that the embassies’ men let the people fill in the declaration as they were waiting on cue (they knew who the majority there was voting for and had interest on letting more people in), whereas the voting was halted several times at Gara de Nord.

By: Craig Turp

Craig Turp — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:41:13 +0000

PSD has not yet proven any real wrongdoing (they will not) but they did raise an important point yesterday:

At Gara de Nord on Sunday, 702 people voted at the special polling station for those in transit. There were queues all day, but the time it takes to vote (including writing a declaration that you have not and will not vote elsewhere) means they could only process 702 people in the time allowed for voting (7am-9pm).

Yet at Romanian embassies abroad, there was some real ‘Stakhanovite’ voting: in Paris, more than 3500 people voted in the time allowed. That means the whole voting process for each person (getting in and out the polling booth, handing over documents, writing the decalaration etc) took just 13 seconds.

Not saying it made any real impact on the outcome, but it does need an explanation.