New Plușeni, 11 March 2020 – A few days ago the Electoral Commission of Plushunia has announced the results of the 7 March election for the Plushunian Parliament. As some may know, the new Parliament was elected through a parallel vote system, first implemented in the September 2020 election, in which every citizen casts two votes: one for one of the nationwide party lists, from which 20 MPs are elected via a party-list proportional system, and the other one to their local constituency MP (Plushunia being divided in 11 single-member constituencies), constituency MPs being elected through a first-past-the-post system.
As expected, the center-right Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), led by ex-PM Iepuroi Hop and which current Prime Minister Iepuraș Slobozan is a member of, managed to secure a landslide victory, winning a record-high 40.63% of the nationwide list vote and 41.15% of the total constituency votes, the largest scores ever won by a single party in a legislative history in the entire Plushunian history, thus securing 8 nationwide seats and successfully holding all its 5 constituencies (Plușeni 2 and 3, New Plușeni 2, Ialomița 2 and Argeș), while gaining 3 others (Ialomița 1 and the newly formed Ialomița 3 and Plușeni 4 constituencies), while its candidate in the New Plușeni 3 constituency is tied with the candidate of the Liberal Alliance (a run-off being scheduled for 14 March), thus bringing the party’s current seat total to 16 (potentially 17 should the PDL candidate win the run-off in New Plușeni 3). With 16 out of the 31 seats, the PDL makes history, this majority being the first parliamentary majority ever won by a single political party, and most likely leading to the country’s first one-party majority cabinet (the current cabinet is also a one-party PDL cabinet, although it is a minority cabinet), current Prime Minister Iepuraș Slobozan (the first Prime Minister not to be a party leader, having been proposed for this position by his party as a compromise with the Liberal Alliance, that did not want to support a coalition cabinet led by PDL leader Iepuroi Hop because of the latter’s controversial nature and his role in imposing the June 2020 austerity measures, Slobozan remaining PM even after the Liberals left the coalition, since the National Democratic Party refused to support any PDL minority cabinet led by Iepuroi Hop), being set to continue as Prime Minister, despite not being the leader of the PDL, due to his very good reputation, high popularity and his significant contributions to the development of Plushunia, the PDL’s leader, Iepuroi Hop, being likely to bring an end to his break from high-level politics and to take office either as Deputy Prime Minister or President of the Parliament. As mentioned before, the PDL got 16 MPs elected to the Plushunian Parliament: Prime Minister Iepuraș Slobozan, ministers Ollie Caracatița, Cățel Plușeanu, Broscoi Plușeanu, mayor Sylvester Plușeanu and ex-ministers Iepuraș Pascal, Rilă Morcovescu and Puiuț Chițăilă on the national list, and party-leader and ex-PM Iepuroi Hop, President of the Parliament Judy Hop, ministers Horațiu Pferd and Luminel Plușeanu, mayor Rățoi Slobozeanu and political newcomers Broscoi Ialomițean and Leon Ialomițean in the constituencies.
On the second place, more than 10% away from the PDL, comes the Liberal Alliance (shortened to AL, composed from the National Liberal Party and the Conservative Party), with 25.65% of the nationwide list votes and 27.25% of the total constituency votes, securing 5 nationwide seats and managing to hold its 2 constituencies (Plușeni 1 and New Plușeni 1) and securing a tie with the PDL in the New Plușeni 3 constituency, failing though to gain any other seats. This brings the AL’s total seat count to 7 (possibly 8 if AL newcomer Purceluș Purcel defeats the PDL’s candidate, the well-known jurist and current Minister of Justice Pisic Plușeanu, in the run-off in New Plușeni 3), far behind the PDL, giving the Liberals, still the main opposition force, little hope to play a role in a government during the next 6 months, unless they manage to take advantage of the PDL’s broad MP field to get some PDL MPs to switch parties. As mentioned before, the Alliance got 7 MPs elected: ex-PM Ghiță Purcel, mayor Reginald Koenig, ex-minister Pisica Plușeanu and newcomers Screfonte Purcel and Hortensia Purcel on the national list, and party leader Ludovic Purcel and ex-minister Porculete Purcel in the constituencies.
The third place is occupied by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), that, while recovering from the disaster of the local elections and recently re-absorbing the breakaway Independent Social Party, still hasn’t returned to its September 2020 result (when the Social Democratic Union, the alliance the PSD was the main party of, got 25.5%), having gathered 19.60% of the national list votes and 17.97% of the total constituency votes (the difference being probably due to limited, but mostly unsuccessful tactical voting which took place in several areas and in which traditionally Social Democrat voters voted for another opposition candidate that had more chances to win), thus securing 4 nationwide seats, yet no constituency seats (although the party managed to secure the second place in all 3 Ialomița constituencies), a weaker result than in the last election, but a result that managed to reinforce the PSD’s recently regained status as the third largest party of the country. Due to its rivalry with the PDL, the PSD is unlikely to take part in any coalition cabinet with the PDL, its only chance being to repair its weakened ties with the AL.
The fourth and smallest party of the election, with only 14.12% of the national list vote and 13.62% of the total constituency vote, is the National Democratic Party (PND). While still enjoying the support of the significant voter base which, angered by the mid-2020 economic crisis in Plushunia and dissatisfied with the mainstream parties, decided to flock en masse to the PND, attracted by its populist, anti-system message, as the economic situation improved the party slowly lost voters, loss which was accelerated by the PND’s decision to support the PDL minority government of Iepuraș Slobozan, despite the two parties having been bitter rivals since June 2020. However, now that the PDL has a majority, the PND will likely be discarded from any of the PDL’s future coalition government plans, thus having few hopes of leaving the opposition benches in the next few months.
The fourth and smallest party of the election, with only 14.12% of the national list vote and 13.62% of the total constituency vote, is the National Democratic Party (PND). While still enjoying the support of the significant voter base which, angered by the mid-2020 economic crisis in Plushunia and dissatisfied with the mainstream parties, decided to flock en masse to the PND, attracted by its populist, anti-system message, as the economic situation improved the party slowly lost voters, loss which was accelerated by the PND’s decision to support the PDL minority government of Iepuraș Slobozan, despite the two parties having been bitter rivals since June 2020. However, now that the PDL has a majority, the PND will likely be discarded from any of the PDL’s future coalition government plans, thus having few hopes of leaving the opposition benches in the next few months.
Now that you have seen the nationwide situation, we believe it’s a good idea to go even deeper, and present the results of the election on a local level too. Below, you will see how did the election go in each of the 11 constituencies:
Plușeni 1
The most solidly Liberal place in the country and the home constituency of the leaders of both parties of the Liberal Alliance (Ludovic Purcel of the National Liberal Party and Reginald Koenig of the Conservative Party), the Plușeni 1 constituency, roughly corresponding to the Plușurilor sector of the Plușeni municipality, is overwhelmingly populated by Liberal-voting middle-class Plushunians. As expected, the incumbent MP for the constituency, Ludovic Purcel, was re-elected by a very large margin, winning 53.3% of the votes, the highest score of any constituency candidate and the highest score of the Alliance. Far behind him comes Marin Caracatiță (PDL), a rather unpopular former Mayor of Plușeni, who won only 26.7% of the vote (the lowest score out of all PDL candidates), followed by the PSD and PND candidates Spiridon Koenig, respectively Veve Plușeanu, both tied at 10% (the PSD’s lowest score).
Plușeni 2
Located in the Democratic Liberal stronghold of Unirea, the PDL managed to maintain and strenghten its tight grip over the Plușeni 2 constituency, incumbent Luminel Plușeanu winning 48.6% of the vote and a new term. On the second place, with a score above party average (which is unusual for the Unirea area and is likely a result of tactical voting), comes the Liberal candidate Rățușca Plușeanu, a former minister, with 28.6%, followed by one of the PSD’s deputy leaders, Văcuța Baciu, with 14.3%, with the PND candidate, Tembo von Waldorf, on the last place with 8.6% (the party’s lowest score, which is surprising for an area where the PND has significant strength).
Plușeni 3
Populated mostly by military personnel, this constituency is a highly unusual one. While the PDL’s candidate, party leader Iepuroi Hop, won the constituency with 53.1% of the votes (the highest score for the PDL), strengthening the party’s hold over the constituency. On the second place, as expected in a region with a very strong nationalist-leaning voter base, comes the PND’s candidate, ex-minister Rilă Croșetă, with 25%, followed by Ursache Klein (PSD) with 12.5% and lastly Iepurel Albescu (AL), with 9.4% (the Alliance’s worst performance of all constituencies and the only Liberal candidate that ended up on the 4th place).
Plușeni 4
A newly founded constituency made out of parts from the other constituencies of Plușeni (and thus more politically diverse), Plușeni 4 was also won by a PDL candidate, in this case former National Union for the Progress of Plushunia leader Oița Baciu, who, despite running as a slightly center-left candidate on the ticket of a right-wing party, still managed to secure her seat and win 50% of the vote, being followed by AL candidate Rățușca Albescu (23.3%), PSD candidate Ursula Klein (16.7%) and PND candidate Iepuraș Croșetă (10.0%).
New Plușeni 1
The most Liberal-voting constituency of New Plușeni, New Plușeni 1 was swept by the AL’s candidate, incumbent Porculete Purcel (a prominent Liberal politician), who won 41.2% of the vote, thus holding his seat for the AL despite the recent rise in PDL support. Less than 10% behind him, with 32.4% of the vote, comes prominent PDL member Broscoi Plușeanu (who, despite losing in the constituency, also ran on the national list, where he won a seat, a common practice, since the parties need strong candidates to take and hold the constituencies, but said candidates are often high-ranking party officials that desire a seat in the Parliament even if they don’t win in the constituency), followed by PSD’s Rilă von Waldorf (17.6%) and lastly by the PND’s Babirusa von Waldorf (8.8%).
New Plușeni 2
Held by the PDL before the election due to a narrow win in September, the Democrat Liberals further solidified their grip over the constituency, their candidate, incumbent MP and President of the Parliament Judy Hop winning 42.4% of the vote, followed by the AL’s Didi Purcel (who only won 30.2%, an unusually low vote share for a AL candidate in New Plușeni, this probably being due to D. Purcel’s involvement in several corruption scandals), and then by the PSD candidate Ursuleț Plușeanu (15.2%) and by the PND’s Șobo Albu (12.1%).
New Plușeni 3
Another newly-formed constituency, New Plușeni 3 faced an unprecedented situation in this election: the two main candidates, Pisic Plușeanu (PDL) and Purceluș Purcel (AL), are tied in the first place, at 35.7%. In order to solve the situation, the seat shall stay vacant for the time being, with a run-off being scheduled for 14 March. The PSD and PND candidates got the 3rd and 4th places, with 17.9%. respectively 10.7%.
Ialomița 1
The only constituency to flip in this election (all of the other gains of the PDL being in newly created constituencies), Ialomița 1 went from red to orange this election, highly controversial incumbent Ursu Polarescu only getting 29.0% of the vote (second place, the Ialomița constituencies being the only ones where the PSD secured the second place) and losing his chance to a second term, while the victor, PDL’s Broscoi Ialomițean, managed to get 38.7% of the votes (a high score for a historically left-leaning area like Ialomița). The other candidates, Puiuț Slobozeanu (AL) and Foca Ialomițean (PND), got 19.4%, respectively 12.9% of the vote.
Ialomița 2
Though already a PDL-held constituency, Ialomița 2 got a vote distribution similar to Ialomița 1, indicating a general increase in support for the Democrat Liberals in the area (accompanied by a decrease of the AL, which was previously at around 25% in Ialomița), incumbent Rățoi Slobozeanu (PDL) getting 40.0% of the vote, followed by Cățeluș Slobozeanu (PSD, 26.7%), Delfin Ialomițean (AL, 20.0%) and lastly Ursuleț Nestlevici (13.3%).
Ialomița 3
Due to the more known candidates in Ialomița being sent to the other two constituencies in an attempt to unseat the incumbents, Ialomița 3 was mostly a battleground of new political faces, thus people voted mostly on party lines. Thus, PDL candidate Leon Ialomițean won the election with 40.7% of the vote, followed by Cuțu Ialomițean (PSD, 25.9%), Miffy Ialomițean (AL, 22.2%) and Suzy Slobozeanu (11.1%).
Argeș
The only constituency of the mountainous Argeș municipality, the Argeș constituency remained in the hands of the PDL despite the fact that the party lost the mayor seat of the municipality to PND in the December local election, PDL incumbent Horațiu Pferd winning 42.9% of the vote and securing another term. At a large distance, he was followed by the incumbent mayor of Argeș, Albert Cuțu (PND), who gained 25.7% of the vote (the largest vote share won by the PND). Loredana Purcel (AL, 17.1%) and Ursu Buzescu (14.3%) got the third and fourth places.
Plushunian News Service 