Romanian National Unity Party
CountryRomania
FounderGheorghe Funar
PresidentMircea Chelaru
Founded1990
Dissolved2006
Ideology1990-2002:
Romanian ultranationalism[1]
Christian right
Neoliberalism[2]
National conservatism
Social conservatism
Anti-Hungarian sentiment
2002-2006:
Moderate nationalism
Social liberalism[3]
Christian democracy[4]
Pro-Europeanism[5]
Position1990-2002:
Right-wing to far-right[6]
2002-2006:
Centre-right to right-wing
MergedConservative Party
Native namePartidul Unității Națiunii Române
NationalAlliance for Romanian Unity (1990)

The Romanian National Unity Party (Romanian: Partidul Unităţii Naţionale a Românilor, PUNR) was a nationalist political party in Romania between 1990 and 2006.[7]

History

The PUNR was the first nationalist party in post-communist Romania, created in 1990, with Gheorghe Funar emerging as its leader. In the 1990 general elections the party ran as part of the Alliance for Romanian Unity (AUR) alongside the Republican Party (PR).[8] The alliance received 2.1% of the Chamber of Deputies vote in the 1990 general elections, winning nine seats. It also received 2.2% of the Senate vote, winning two seats.[9]

Funar went on to become mayor of Cluj-Napoca. In that office, he would promote Romanian national symbols, especially the blue, yellow and red flag, throughout the city. He was the party's candidate for president in the 1992 general elections, finishing third with 11% of the vote. In the parliamentary elections the PUNR emerged as the fourth-largest party in Parliament, winning 14 seats in the Senate and 30 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

Funar was the party's presidential candidate again in the 1996 elections, but finished sixth in a field of 16 candidates, receiving only 3.2% of the vote. The PUNR also lost seats in Parliament, being reduced to seven Senate seats and 18 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The party did not nominate a presidential candidate in the 2000 elections, which saw its vote share fall to just 1.4%, resulting in it failing to cross the electoral threshold, losing its parliamentary representation.

Its last leader was former General Mircea Chelaru. Under his leadership, the party became more moderate.[10] On 12 February 2006, the PUNR was absorbed into the Conservative Party (PC).

Electoral history

Legislative elections

ElectionChamberSenatePositionAftermath
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
1990290,8752.12300,4732.15
(within AUR)[a]
1992836,5477.72887,5978.12(1992–1996)
1996533,3844.36518,9624.22
2000149,5251.38154,7611.42
200453,2220.5256,4140.55

Notes:

  1. ^ AUR members: PUNR (all the mandates) and the Republican Party (no mandates).

Presidential elections

ElectionCandidateFirst roundSecond round
Votes%PositionVotesPercentagePosition
1990did not compete
19921,294,38810.8
1996407,8283.2
2000did not compete
2004did not compete

See also

References

  1. ^ Deletant, Dennis (1993). "Reviewed work: A Providential Anti-Semitism. Nationalism and Polity in Nineteenth-Century Romania, William O. Oldson; the Case of Romanian Intellectuals in the 1930s, Leon Volovici". The Slavonic and East European Review. 71 (3): 546–548. JSTOR 4211337
  2. ^ https://www.agerpres.ro/documentare/2020/03/15/romania-post-revolutie-1990-infiintarea-partidului-unitatii-nationale-romane-punr--466648
  3. ^ "Generalul Chelaru este noul lider al PUNR". 13 May 2002.
  4. ^ "Monitorul Expres - Stiri Brasov"
  5. ^ "Monitorul Expres - Stiri Brasov"
  6. ^ https://www.europe-politique.eu/wiki/Partidul_Unit%C4%83%C5%A3ii_Na%C5%A3iunii_Rom%C3%A2ne_(PUNR)
  7. ^ Janusz Bugajski (1995). Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe: A Guide to Nationality Policies, Organizations, and Parties. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 466–. ISBN 978-0-7656-1911-2.
  8. ^ 1990 Parliamentary Elections: Chamber of Deputies Archived 2003-01-07 at the Wayback Machine University of Essex
  9. ^ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, pp1599–1600 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  10. ^ "Monitorul Expres - Stiri Brasov"