Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania

Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
Forumul Democrat al Germanilor din România
Demokratisches Forum der Deutschen in Rumänien
President Paul-Jürgen Porr
Chamber leader Ovidiu Ganț
Founded 1989 (1989)
Ideology German minority interests
European Parliament group Briefly
EPP-ED (January–November, 2007)
Colours Red
Seats in the Senate
0 / 176
Seats in the Chamber
1 / 412
Seats in the European Parliament
0 / 33
Website
fdgr.ro

The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (German: Demokratisches Forum der Deutschen in Rumänien, DFDR; Romanian: Forumul Democrat al Germanilor din România, in short Forumul German, abbreviated FDGR) is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania.

It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party grew quite popular amongst many ethnic Romanians, especially in parts of Transylvania or Banat, including the major city of Sibiu, where the party still has a majority in the local city council (12 out of 23 seats).

The party is regarded as independent, whilst its politicians, including former Sibiu mayor, former party leader, and current President of Romania, Klaus Johannis, have earned respect as thorough administrators. The party has often cooperated with the National Liberal Party, to which Iohannis became a member and one of its prime leaders in February, 2013.

At local administration level, (most notably in Timișoara or Baia Mare), the FDGR/DFDR has also co-operated with another Romanian centre-right historical party, namely the PNȚ-CD.

Overview

The Schuller house (German: Das Schuller haus, Romanian: Casa Schuller), the seat of the FDGR/DFDR in Mediaș (German: Mediasch), Sibiu County.
The Lutsch house (German: Das Lutsch haus, Romanian: Casa Lutsch), the seat of the DFDR/FDGR in Sibiu (German: Hermannstadt).

The history of the German minority in Romania, and more specifically, their presence in the historical region of Transylvania, spans for almost a millennium. Under the term "Romanian Germans" (Rumäniendeutsche) are included a wide variety of different regional German-speaking groups, including most notably:

Since the year 2000, the FDGR/DFDR has won offices on both local and regional levels. In Sibiu (Hermannstadt), the DFDR's Klaus Johannis has held the office of mayor from 2000 to 2014. In 2004, the party gained 60.43% of the vote in local elections for the Municipal Council. The FDGR/DFDR holds 12 out of the 23 seats in the Sibiu Municipal Council, forming an absolute majority alongside the PNL.

Following the 2016 local elections in Sibiu County (which has a population of about 450,000 residents), the FDGR/DFDR won 8 out of 33 seats in the County Council, where it is the third strongest political faction.

The FDGR/DFDR has also had mayors in office since 2004 in the cities of Mediaş (Mediasch) and Cisnădie (Heltau), as well as in a few villages in the Satu Mare (Sathmar) county. The DFDR is an associated member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities.

Presidents

Localities with DFDR mayors

FDGR/DFDR electoral poster in Brașov (German: Kronstadt)

Since 2004:

DFDR politicians

Electoral performance

Election Chamber of Deputies Senate
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
199038,7680.28119,1050.140
199234,6850.321–––
199623,8880.201–––
200040,8440.311–––
200436,1660.351–––
200823,1900.301–––
201239,1750.531–––
201612,3750.181–––

See also

References

  1. ↑ The term Regat refers to what was Romanian territory until the end of World War I
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