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| Voters in Romania Appear Poised to Reject Years of Scandals and Chaos | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| BUCHAREST, Romania — In late 2016, a populist political party swept to power in Romania promising generous social spending, tax cuts and a continuation of the country’s alignment with the European Union, nine years after it had joined the bloc. | BUCHAREST, Romania — In late 2016, a populist political party swept to power in Romania promising generous social spending, tax cuts and a continuation of the country’s alignment with the European Union, nine years after it had joined the bloc. |
| What followed was a cascade of corruption scandals and political chaos, with the government led by the Social Democrats running through three prime ministers and almost 100 ministers. The party’s leader was carted off to prison. | What followed was a cascade of corruption scandals and political chaos, with the government led by the Social Democrats running through three prime ministers and almost 100 ministers. The party’s leader was carted off to prison. |
| On Sunday, Romanian voters will offer their verdict on the past almost three years, and most believe it will be a strong rejection of the party that was big on promises but defined by scandal. | |
| The president, Klaus Iohannis, held a commanding lead over his challenger, Viorica Dancila, the recently deposed Social Democrat prime minister, after the first round of voting two weeks ago, and few expect her to overcome the deficit. | The president, Klaus Iohannis, held a commanding lead over his challenger, Viorica Dancila, the recently deposed Social Democrat prime minister, after the first round of voting two weeks ago, and few expect her to overcome the deficit. |
| Mr. Iohannis led the National Liberals, until recently the largest opposition party, before becoming president in 2014. | Mr. Iohannis led the National Liberals, until recently the largest opposition party, before becoming president in 2014. |
| While the president has limited authority in the country’s parliamentary system, the campaign has been widely viewed as a referendum on the Social Democrats’ government and the party’s stumbling efforts to fight corruption, which continues to plague many facets of daily life in one of the poorest nations in the European Union. | While the president has limited authority in the country’s parliamentary system, the campaign has been widely viewed as a referendum on the Social Democrats’ government and the party’s stumbling efforts to fight corruption, which continues to plague many facets of daily life in one of the poorest nations in the European Union. |
| Romanians, especially the young and educated, have left the country in droves over the past decade, drawn by better opportunities elsewhere in Europe, but also by despondency over the lack of progress at home. | Romanians, especially the young and educated, have left the country in droves over the past decade, drawn by better opportunities elsewhere in Europe, but also by despondency over the lack of progress at home. |
| Mr. Iohannis has increasingly positioned himself as the bulwark against attacks on the rule of law. In a televised news event days before the vote, he claimed that without him, the rule of law would have been broken in Romania. Ms. Dancila, for her part, has labeled him arrogant and a coward for refusing to face her in a public debate. | Mr. Iohannis has increasingly positioned himself as the bulwark against attacks on the rule of law. In a televised news event days before the vote, he claimed that without him, the rule of law would have been broken in Romania. Ms. Dancila, for her part, has labeled him arrogant and a coward for refusing to face her in a public debate. |
| In many ways, the struggle in Romania echoes the political drama playing out in other parts of the world, where leaders touting a populist agenda tapped into deep public dissatisfaction to take power, only to then push an agenda aimed more at sustaining their power than solving problems. | In many ways, the struggle in Romania echoes the political drama playing out in other parts of the world, where leaders touting a populist agenda tapped into deep public dissatisfaction to take power, only to then push an agenda aimed more at sustaining their power than solving problems. |
| In Romania, the architect of the Social Democrats platform was the all-powerful party boss, Liviu Dragnea. | In Romania, the architect of the Social Democrats platform was the all-powerful party boss, Liviu Dragnea. |
| In the aftermath of the party’s 2016 victory, Mr. Dragnea followed a well-trodden path, promising generous social welfare programs while engaging in conspiracy-theory rhetoric. | In the aftermath of the party’s 2016 victory, Mr. Dragnea followed a well-trodden path, promising generous social welfare programs while engaging in conspiracy-theory rhetoric. |
| From the outset, there were concerns that he would follow the example of other populist leaders, such as Viktor Orban in Hungary, and lead his party to use democratic means to build an “illiberal democracy,” a kind of soft authoritarianism where the essential organs of the state are compromised. | From the outset, there were concerns that he would follow the example of other populist leaders, such as Viktor Orban in Hungary, and lead his party to use democratic means to build an “illiberal democracy,” a kind of soft authoritarianism where the essential organs of the state are compromised. |
| But when the Romanian government attempted to decriminalize a number of graft offenses soon after coming to power, signaling one of the boldest retreats from anticorruption efforts in the European Union, the public backlash was swift and fierce. | But when the Romanian government attempted to decriminalize a number of graft offenses soon after coming to power, signaling one of the boldest retreats from anticorruption efforts in the European Union, the public backlash was swift and fierce. |
| Specifically, the government adopted an emergency law that would have made official misconduct punishable by prison time only in cases in which the financial damage was more than 200,000 lei, or about $46,000. | Specifically, the government adopted an emergency law that would have made official misconduct punishable by prison time only in cases in which the financial damage was more than 200,000 lei, or about $46,000. |
| It was not lost on anyone that Mr. Dragnea stood to benefit, because he was facing charges of abuse of power involving about $25,800. | It was not lost on anyone that Mr. Dragnea stood to benefit, because he was facing charges of abuse of power involving about $25,800. |
| More than half a million people poured into the streets to express their outrage in the largest demonstrations since the end of communist rule three decades earlier. | More than half a million people poured into the streets to express their outrage in the largest demonstrations since the end of communist rule three decades earlier. |
| While the government backed down from that legislation, other measures followed, and the protests have continued off and on. Antigovernment protests in August 2018 led to clashes between security forces and demonstrators, with hundreds injured after tear gas and water cannons were deployed. | While the government backed down from that legislation, other measures followed, and the protests have continued off and on. Antigovernment protests in August 2018 led to clashes between security forces and demonstrators, with hundreds injured after tear gas and water cannons were deployed. |
| The Social Democrats turned to a familiar playbook to push back. They accused their opponents of being part of a dark conspiracy, some linking it to the Hungarian-born philanthropist George Soros, who often serves as an all-purpose boogeyman for populists worldwide. | The Social Democrats turned to a familiar playbook to push back. They accused their opponents of being part of a dark conspiracy, some linking it to the Hungarian-born philanthropist George Soros, who often serves as an all-purpose boogeyman for populists worldwide. |
| At a rally last spring in the Romanian capital, Bucharest — where the party bused in tens of thousands of supporters — the government sought to tie its travails to those suffered by President Trump. | At a rally last spring in the Romanian capital, Bucharest — where the party bused in tens of thousands of supporters — the government sought to tie its travails to those suffered by President Trump. |
| “We salute President Trump’s fight against the American deep state,” Liviu Plesoianu, a Social Democrat lawmaker, told supporters. “We know what forces are thrown against him.” | “We salute President Trump’s fight against the American deep state,” Liviu Plesoianu, a Social Democrat lawmaker, told supporters. “We know what forces are thrown against him.” |
| Mr. Dragnea received support last summer from Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, who sent a letter to Mr. Iohannis criticizing Romania’s anticorruption efforts. | Mr. Dragnea received support last summer from Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, who sent a letter to Mr. Iohannis criticizing Romania’s anticorruption efforts. |
| But in elections for the European Parliament in May, it was clear that voters were not buying the rhetoric, and the party was roundly rejected, garnering only 23 percent of the vote, half of what it achieved in the December 2016 domestic parliamentary elections. | But in elections for the European Parliament in May, it was clear that voters were not buying the rhetoric, and the party was roundly rejected, garnering only 23 percent of the vote, half of what it achieved in the December 2016 domestic parliamentary elections. |
| The day after the European vote, the police took Mr. Dragnea from his home after a final court ruling ordered him to begin serving three and a half years in prison for abuse of power. | The day after the European vote, the police took Mr. Dragnea from his home after a final court ruling ordered him to begin serving three and a half years in prison for abuse of power. |
| Then last month, Ms. Dancila’s government was ousted in a no-confidence vote, with the Social Democrats’ main rival, the National Liberals, forming a minority government. | Then last month, Ms. Dancila’s government was ousted in a no-confidence vote, with the Social Democrats’ main rival, the National Liberals, forming a minority government. |
| Mr. Iohannis, a member of the German minority of Transylvanian Saxons, has been accused of being somewhat remote. A staunch supporter of the European project, he is generally considered to be a safe steward and someone respected by foreign leaders. | Mr. Iohannis, a member of the German minority of Transylvanian Saxons, has been accused of being somewhat remote. A staunch supporter of the European project, he is generally considered to be a safe steward and someone respected by foreign leaders. |
| Sorin Ionita, a political analyst at the Bucharest-based research group Expert Forum, said that while Mr. Iohannis was fortunate to have received support from outside the country at crucial moments during his first term, over all, he had been a good president. | Sorin Ionita, a political analyst at the Bucharest-based research group Expert Forum, said that while Mr. Iohannis was fortunate to have received support from outside the country at crucial moments during his first term, over all, he had been a good president. |
| “He had a contribution, counteracting the Social Democrats during the worst moments of the last almost three years,” Mr. Ionita said. | “He had a contribution, counteracting the Social Democrats during the worst moments of the last almost three years,” Mr. Ionita said. |
| In contrast to Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, Mr. Iohannis — nodding to the turmoil of the past few years — has opted for a more mundane message: “For a Normal Romania.” | In contrast to Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, Mr. Iohannis — nodding to the turmoil of the past few years — has opted for a more mundane message: “For a Normal Romania.” |
| Kit Gillet reported from Bucharest, and Marc Santora from Warsaw. | Kit Gillet reported from Bucharest, and Marc Santora from Warsaw. |