The Socialist Party of Labour (Romanian: Partidul Socialist al Muncii, PSM) was a left wing-nationalist political party in Romania. The party was labelled as neo-communist. It was founded on 16 November 1990. The chairman of the party was Ilie Verdeţ, former Communist Prime Minister between 1979 and 1982, under General Secretary Nicolae Ceaușescu.[2] The PSM was a self-proclaimed successor of the Romanian Communist Party.[3]

After brief success in the mid-1990s, the party lost its representation in parliament, and in 2003, merged into the Social Democratic Party (PSD); members who objected to the fusion formed a splinter group, called the Socialist Alliance Party (PSR).

History

The party gained traction

At the 1992 general election, the party obtained roughly 3% of votes and thus entered the parliament. Together with the Greater Romania Party (PRM), the PSM formed the "National Bloc" faction in the Romanian Senate. The PSM participated in the so-called Red Quadrilateral coalition that included Iliescu's Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN), the Greater Romania Party (PRM; at that time national communist), the Agrarian Democracy Party (PDAR), and the nationalist Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR).[4]

However, in March 1995, a breakway faction led by Tudor Mohora quit to form the Socialist Party (PS; not to be confused with the Romanian Socialist Party that also existed at the time).[5] Nevertheless, at the 1996 Romanian local elections, the PSM won 4.06% of the total votes, placing 8th among Romania's political parties. The PSM won 120 mayorships in total, including 10 cities and towns, one of which was Brăila.

For the 1996 presidential election, the party stood the writer Adrian Păunescu as their candidate. The party stood again for the parliamentary election, but the outcome was disastrous. While PSM and PS together increased the vote share that PSM alone won in 1992 (in 1996 the two parties got 4.4% for elections to both houses), separately, they both fell below the threshold, and PSM lost its representation in both houses of parliament. Another party, PSMR (Romanian Socialist Party of Workers) also split the vote, winning 1.7% for the Chamber and 1.3% for the Senate. In 2000, PSM fell even further, losing its local representation.

In July 2003, the party fused with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), while members who objected to the fusion formed a splinter group, called the Socialist Alliance Party (PSR).

Electoral history

Legislative elections

Election Chamber Senate Position Aftermath
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
1992 328,283 3.03
13 / 341
 347,658 3.18
5 / 143
 8th PDSR-PUNR-PRM-PSM government (1992–1996)
Mihail Viziru, a PSM deputy, resigned on 4 September 1995 to serve out his mandate as Prefect of Mehedinți County, which began on 9 August 1995 and ended on 13 May 1996.[6][7][8]
1996 262,563 2.15
0 / 343
 265,659 2.16
0 / 143
 8th Extra-parliamentary opposition to CDR-USD-UDMR government (1996–2000)
2000 91,027 0.71
0 / 345
 96,636 0.89
0 / 140
 11th Extra-parliamentary support for PDSR minority government (2000–2003)

Presidential elections

Election Candidate First round Second round
Votes Percentage Position Votes Percentage Position
1992Did not compete
1996Adrian Păunescu87,1630.7%9th
2000Ion Sasu38,3750.3%11th

Local elections

In 1996, the PSM won the presidency of Brăila County, the mayorship of its eponymous seat, plus the mayorship of two other county seats (Craiova and Giurgiu).
At the 2000 Romanian local elections, the PSM failed to win the presidency of any county or the mayorship of any county seat.

At the 1996 Romanian local elections, the PSM won 4.06% of the total votes, placing 8th among Romania's political parties. The PSM won 120 mayorships in total, including 10 cities and towns, the latter being listed below:[9]

References

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Party_of_Labour