# 2004 Romanian general election

General elections were held in Romania on 28 November 2004, with a second round of the presidential elections on 12 December between former Prime Minister Adrian Năstase of the then ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and then incumbent Bucharest Mayor Traian Băsescu of the opposition Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), more specifically of the Democratic Party (PD). Băsescu was elected President by a narrow majority of just 51.2%. The 2004 presidential election was the fifth of its kind held in post-1989 Romania.
Following 2003 amendments to the constitution which lengthened the presidential term to five years, these were the last joint elections to the presidency and Parliament in Romania's political history thus far.

## Campaign
### Parliamentary elections

The main contenders were the left-wing alliance made up of the then incumbent Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) and the Romanian Humanist Party (PUR), and, on the other hand, the center-right Justice and Truth Alliance (DA; Romanian: Dreptate și adevăr) comprising the conservative-liberal National Liberal Party (PNL) and the initially social-democratic Democratic Party (PD) which later adopted a center-right Christian democratic ideology.
Other significant contenders were the Greater Romania Party (PRM) (right-wing nationalists), the ethnic Hungarian party Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and the Union for Romanian Reconstruction (UPRR), a group of right-wing technocrats.

## Conduct

The opposition alleged fraudulent use by the PSD of "supplementary lists", designed to help Romanians in transit to vote. Traditionally, Romanians voted with a cardboard identity card, which was stamped when they voted. Most Romanians now have laminated plastic IDs, to which a printed stamp is affixed when a person votes. However, the stamps can be easily removed. In spite of this, electoral fraud is nearly impossible to commit, as every citizen is assigned to one local voting station, the only location he/she can vote at.
The opposition claimed that there were organized "electoral excursions" of PSD supporters who were bussed to various towns to vote several times. This was corroborated by several teams of journalists, who followed the buses.
The government attacked the opposition by arguing that 'rumours of fraud' affect Romania's economy and its external credibility.
In January 2005, the IMAS institute of statistics released an analysis of the voting results in the 16,824 precincts. In the top 1,000 precincts with the most votes on the supplementary lists, the PSD had 43% to the DA's 23%, while in the precincts with fewest votes on supplementary lists, the PSD had 30% to the DA's 34%. The same trend was true in the precincts with most void votes. Wayback Machine

## Presidential candidates

| Name | Lifespan | Public Administration Experience | Affiliation and endorsements | Alma mater and profession |
| Traian Băsescu | Born: November 4, 1951 (age 53) Basarabi, Constanța County | Mayor of Bucharest (2000-election day) Deputy (1992–2000) Minister of Transport (1991–1992, 1996–1998, 1998–2000) Sub-Secretary of State for Naval Transportation with the Ministry of Transport (1990–1991) Director of Civil Navigation Inspectorate with the Ministry of Transport (1989–1990) | Affiliation: Justice and Truth Alliance Alliance members: PNL and PD | Mircea cel Bătrân Naval Academy (1976) seaman |
| Adrian Năstase | Born: June 22, 1950 (age 54) Bucharest | Prime Minister of Romania (2000-election day) Deputy (1990, 1992-election day) President of the Chamber of Deputies (1992–1996) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1990–1992) | Affiliation: National Union PSD+PUR Alliance members: PSD and PUR | Faculty of Sociology, University of Bucharest (1978) Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest (1973) jurist |
| Corneliu Vadim Tudor | Born: November 28, 1949 (age 55) Bucharest Died: September 14, 2015, Bucharest | Senator (1992-election day) Former presidential elections: 2000: 28.3% (2nd place, 1st round), 33.2% (2nd place, 2nd round) 1996: 4.7% (5th place, 1st round) | Affiliation: PRM | Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest (1971) journalist, writer |
| Béla Markó | Born: September 8, 1951 (age 53) Târgu Secuiesc, Covasna County | Senator (1990-election day) | Affiliation: UDMR | Faculty of Philology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1974) journalist, poet |
| Gheorghe Ciuhandu | Born: June 15, 1947 (age 57) Timișoara, Timiș County | Mayor of Timișoara (1996-election day) | Affiliation: PNȚCD | Faculty of Constructions, Politehnica University of Timișoara (1970) building engineer |
| Gigi Becali | Born: June 25, 1958 (age 46) Vădeni, Brăila County | | Affiliation: PNG | "Iuliu Maniu" High-school, Bucharest (1978) shepherd, football club owner |
| Petre Roman | Born: July 22, 1946 (age 58) Bucharest | Senator (1996-election day) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1999–2000) President of the Senate of Romania (1996–1999) Deputy (1990–1996) Prime Minister of Romania (1989–1991) Former presidential elections: 2000: 3.0% (6th place, 1st round) 1996: 20.5% (3rd place, 1st round) | Affiliation: Democratic Force | Faculty of Energy, Politehnica University of Bucharest (1968) hydroelectric powerplant engineer |
| Gheorghe Dinu | Born: unknown birthdate unknown birthplace | | Affiliation: none | unknown education intelligence officer |
| Marian Petre Miluț | Born: December 29, 1955 (age 48) Craiova, Dolj County | | Affiliation: People's Action | Faculty of Automation, Computers and Electronics, University of Craiova (1980) IT engineer |
| Ovidiu Tudorici | Born: October 16, 1969 (age 35) Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Suceava County | Deputy Mayor of Câmpulung Moldovenesc (2004-election day) | Affiliation: Union for Romania's Reconstruction | Faculty of Law, Petre Andrei University of Iași (1997) salesman, marketing specialist |
| Aurel Rădulescu | Born: August 13, 1953 (age 51) Adamclisi, Constanța County | | Affiliation: Christian Democratic People's Alliance | Faculty of Law and Faculty of Tehology, unknown universities (unknown years) priest |
| Raj Tunaru | Born: November 12, 1959 (age 45) Țânțăreni, Gorj County | | Affiliation: Democratic Youth Party | University of Petroșani (unknown year) mining engineer |

## Results
### President

Corneliu Vadim Tudor positioned himself against Băsescu, without openly endorsing Năstase. Marko Bela openly endorsed Adrian Năstase. Gheorghe Ciuhandu openly endorsed Băsescu.
Both Băsescu and Năstase came from left-wing parties (PD and PSD) that were members of Socialist International (SI). However, SI supported Năstase, which led to the abandonment of the social-democratic doctrine by the PD and the withdrawal of the party from SI in 2005.
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | First round | First round | Second round | Second round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | Traian Băsescu | Justice and Truth Alliance | 3,545,236 | 33.92 | 5,126,794 | 51.23 |
| | Adrian Năstase | National Union PSD+PUR | 4,278,864 | 40.94 | 4,881,520 | 48.77 |
| | Corneliu Vadim Tudor | Greater Romania Party | 1,313,714 | 12.57 | | |
| | Béla Markó | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 533,446 | 5.10 | | |
| | Gheorghe Ciuhandu | Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party | 198,394 | 1.90 | | |
| | Gigi Becali | New Generation Party | 184,560 | 1.77 | | |
| | Petre Roman | Democratic Force | 140,702 | 1.35 | | |
| | Gheorghe Dinu | Independent | 113,321 | 1.08 | | |
| | Marian Petre Miluț | People's Action | 43,378 | 0.42 | | |
| | Ovidiu Tudorici | Union for Romanian Reconstruction | 37,910 | 0.36 | | |
| | Aurel Rădulescu | Christian Democratic People's Alliance | 35,455 | 0.34 | | |
| | Alexandru Raj Tunaru | Democratic Youth Party | 27,225 | 0.26 | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 10,452,205 | 100.00 | 10,008,314 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 10,452,205 | 96.86 | 10,008,314 | 98.98 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 339,010 | 3.14 | 103,245 | 1.02 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,791,215 | 100.00 | 10,111,559 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 18,449,344 | 58.49 | 18,316,104 | 55.21 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver |||||||

### Parliament
#### Senate

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | National Union PSD+PUR | 3,798,607 | 37.13 | 57 | –8 |
| | Justice and Truth Alliance | 3,250,663 | 31.77 | 49 | +23 |
| | Greater Romania Party | 1,394,698 | 13.63 | 21 | –16 |
| | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 637,109 | 6.23 | 10 | –2 |
| | New Generation Party | 241,486 | 2.36 | 0 | New |
| | Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party | 196,027 | 1.92 | 0 | 0 |
| | Democratic Force | 95,953 | 0.94 | 0 | New |
| | Ecologist Party of Romania | 83,771 | 0.82 | 0 | New |
| | United Socialist Party | 60,027 | 0.59 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian National Unity Party | 56,414 | 0.55 | 0 | 0 |
| | People's Action | 52,487 | 0.51 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian Socialist Party | 42,306 | 0.41 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian Workers Party | 40,702 | 0.40 | 0 | New |
| | Union for Romanian Reconstruction | 37,630 | 0.37 | 0 | New |
| | Socialist Alliance Party | 37,019 | 0.36 | 0 | New |
| | National Democratic Christian Party | 33,299 | 0.33 | 0 | New |
| | Social Democratic Party "Constantin Titel Petrescu" | 25,637 | 0.25 | 0 | New |
| | Democratic Youth Party | 24,725 | 0.24 | 0 | New |
| | Popular Christian Democratic Alliance | 24,133 | 0.24 | 0 | New |
| | New Democracy Party | 23,514 | 0.23 | 0 | New |
| | Third Millennium Party | 21,301 | 0.21 | 0 | New |
| | For the Motherland Party | 19,314 | 0.19 | 0 | New |
| | Alliance for the Unity of the Rroma | 19,109 | 0.19 | 0 | New |
| | Independent candidate: Eberhard-Wolfgang Wittstock | 11,107 | 0.11 | 0 | New |
| | Popular Party of Romania | 2,436 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| | Force of Justice | 1,186 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 816 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| Total | Total | 10,231,476 | 100.00 | 137 | –3 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 10,231,476 | 94.84 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 556,128 | 5.16 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 10,787,604 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 18,449,676 | 58.47 | | |
| Source: AEP ||||||

#### Chamber of Deputies

| | National Union PSD+PUR | 3,730,352 | 36.61 | 132 | –23 |
| | Justice and Truth Alliance | 3,191,546 | 31.33 | 112 | +51 |
| | Greater Romania Party | 1,316,751 | 12.92 | 48 | –36 |
| | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania | 628,125 | 6.17 | 22 | –5 |
| | New Generation Party | 227,443 | 2.23 | 0 | 0 |
| | Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party | 188,268 | 1.85 | 0 | 0 |
| | Democratic Force | 79,376 | 0.78 | 0 | New |
| | Ecologist Party of Romania | 73,001 | 0.72 | 0 | 0 |
| | Social Democratic Roma Party of Romania | 56,076 | 0.55 | 1 | 0 |
| | Romanian National Unity Party | 53,222 | 0.52 | 0 | – |
| | People's Action | 48,152 | 0.47 | 0 | New |
| | United Socialist Party | 44,459 | 0.44 | 0 | New |
| | Democratic Forum of Germans | 36,166 | 0.35 | 1 | 0 |
| | Romanian Workers' Party | 35,278 | 0.35 | 0 | New |
| | Union for Romanian Reconstruction | 32,749 | 0.32 | 0 | New |
| | Socialist Alliance Party | 28,429 | 0.28 | 0 | New |
| | Romanian Socialist Party | 28,034 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Democratic Christian Party | 27,650 | 0.27 | 0 | New |
| | New Democracy Party | 20,926 | 0.21 | 0 | New |
| | Social Democratic Party "Constantin Titel Petrescu" | 20,318 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 |
| | People's Alliance of Christian Democrats | 18,594 | 0.18 | 0 | New |
| | Democratic Youth Party | 16,271 | 0.16 | 0 | New |
| | Bulgarian Union of Banat–Romania | 15,283 | 0.15 | 1 | 0 |
| | Third Millennium Party | 15,109 | 0.15 | 0 | New |
| | Alliance for a United Romania | 15,041 | 0.15 | 0 | New |
| | Party for the Motherland | 14,882 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | Union of the Ukrainians of Romania | 10,888 | 0.11 | 1 | 0 |
| | Community of the Lipovan Russians in Romania | 10,562 | 0.10 | 1 | 0 |
| | Union of Croats of Romania | 10,331 | 0.10 | 1 | 0 |
| | Union of Armenians of Romania | 9,810 | 0.10 | 1 | 0 |
| | Association of Macedonians of Romania | 9,750 | 0.10 | 1 | 0 |
| | Cultural Association of Slavonic Macedonians of Romania | 9,595 | 0.09 | 0 | New |
| | Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania | 8,449 | 0.08 | 1 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union of Croatians of Romania | 7,769 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 |
| | Democratic Turkish Union of Romania | 7,715 | 0.08 | 1 | 0 |
| | Ethnic Turks Association | 7,396 | 0.07 | 0 | New |
| | Hellenic Union of Romania | 7,161 | 0.07 | 1 | 0 |
| | Union of Serbs of Romania | 6,643 | 0.07 | 1 | 0 |
| | Turco-Muslim Union of Romania | 6,517 | 0.06 | 0 | New |
| | Democratic Union of Turkish-Muslim Tatars | 6,452 | 0.06 | 1 | 0 |
| | Democratic Association of Slavonic Macedonians of Romania | 6,344 | 0.06 | 0 | New |
| | Bulgarian Cultural Association of Romania | 6,240 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 |
| | Association of Italians of Romania | 6,168 | 0.06 | 1 | New |
| | Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania | 5,950 | 0.06 | 1 | 0 |
| | Union of Poles of Romania | 5,473 | 0.05 | 1 | 0 |
| | Italian Community of Romania | 5,181 | 0.05 | 0 | –1 |
| | Cultural Union of Poles of Romania | 5,159 | 0.05 | 0 | New |
| | League of Albanians of Romania | 5,011 | 0.05 | 1 | 0 |
| | Bratstvo Community of Bulgarians in Romania | 4,065 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 |
| | Cultural Union of Ruthenians of Romania | 2,871 | 0.03 | 1 | 0 |
| | People's Party of Romania | 2,336 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| | Force of Justice | 1,123 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 51,646 | 0.51 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 10,188,106 | 100.00 | 332 | –13 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 10,188,106 | 94.44 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 599,641 | 5.56 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 10,787,747 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 18,449,344 | 58.47 | | |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Global Elections Database ||||||

## Aftermath

On 13 December, the PUR president Dan Voiculescu hinted that they have more in common with the DA (both have a center-right orientation) and that they might break from the PSD, but one day later said that he would remain with PSD. It has been suggested by the press that this could be result of a blackmail about his communist past. By 25 December both UDMR and PUR signed a protocol of alliance with DA (Justice and Truth), with the designated prime minister being Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu. Thus, the PSD was left in opposition while Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and the Humanist Party (PUR, renamed Conservative Party in 2005) formed the government.