Democratic Party (Romania)
The Democratic Party (, PD) was a social-democratic and, later on, centre-right political party in Romania. In January 2008, it merged with the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), a splinter group of the National Liberal Party (PNL), to form the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL). From 1996 to 2005, the party was a member of the Socialist International. From 2004 to 2007, the PD was the junior member of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), although according to many Romanian opinion polls of the time, it remained the most popular of the two parties. Although it had  to formally suspend his leadership to the party when elected president in 2004, the PD was largely associated with former Romanian president Traian Băsescu. History. Conflict broke out between FSN leaders Ion Iliescu and Petre Roman in early 1992, and this led to the separation of the Iliescu wing under the name of the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN), which later became the Social Democratic Party (PSD). FSN was defeated by the FDSN in the 1992 legislative election and spent the next four years in opposition. In 1993 the FSN changed its name to the Democratic Party (PD). In the  1996 legislative election, the PD jointly ran with the now-defunct Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR), under the Social Democratic Union (USD) banner. After having ranked third, they joined a governing coalition with the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) and the ethnic Hungarian party Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). From 2000 to 2004, PD has been again in opposition. In advance of the 2004 elections, the PD joined forces with the National Liberal Party (PNL) to create the Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), whose main purpose was to fight the all-dominating PSD. The DA managed to win around  32% of the votes in both Chambers, not enough for a majority and about 6% less than the PSD. Together with its Liberal allies, the UDMR, and the Conservative Party (PC), the PD was part of the governing coalition until April, 2007. During a congress in 2005, PD members voted in favor of joining the European People's Party (EPP) and abandoning the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the Socialist International (SI). In the same year, Petre Roman left the party and, together with his followers, formed the Democratic Force (FD). From mid-2005, the PD's relations with the  PNL became strained due to an ongoing open conflict between Băsescu and then Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who was also the chairman of the PNL. Previously, after his presidential victory in 2004, Băsescu appointed Popescu-Tăriceanu as Prime Minister. Although he wanted to, he could not constitutionally dismiss him; at least, it took him a while to do so. On 1 April 2007, Tăriceanu dismissed the ministers of the PD and formed a minority government. On 15 December 2007, the PD merged with the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) to form the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL). Ideology and policies. The  political doctrine of the Democratic Party (PD) shifted from social democracy to centrism and greater conservatism since 2004, combined with economic liberalism and reformism. The party supported the consolidation of the free market and is supportive of Romania's flat tax rate of 16%. The party also supported reforming the Romanian Constitution in order to bring about decentralization in administration and give greater power to the eight development regions. In terms of European politics, the Democratic Party (PD): Notable former members. In 2007, out of 54 members of the PD group in Chamber of Deputies, 14 were not elected on  PD electoral list: Electoral history. Legislative elections. Notes: Presidential elections. Notes: