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. The PSM was a self-proclaimed successor of the Romanian Communist Party.
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).
Contents
History
The party was established by Ilie Verdeț, who served as Prime Minister of Romania under Nicolae Ceaușescu from 1979 to 1982, to serve as an alternative to the National Salvation Front that led Romania out of socialist rule. Initially, the party called itself the Romanian Socialist Party, but it was approached for a merger by a large faction of the Democratic Party of Labour, and the name "Socialist Party of Labour" was settled upon. The party defended the legacy of the Romanian Communist Party, and in its own words it aimed to "continue the glorious traditions of the labor and socialist movement in our country".
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).
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). 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. Păunescu himself only won 0.69% of votes for the presidential election, behind Mohora's 1.27%.
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
Local elections
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:
Brăila County
Brăila city (Mayor: Lungu Anton)
Făurei town (Mayor: Cosoreanu Virgil)
Dâmbovița County
Găești town (Mayor: Albu Marin)
Dolj County
Craiova city (Mayor: Bulucea Vasile)
Giurgiu County
Giurgiu city (Mayor: Iliescu Lucian)
Bolintin-Vale town (Mayor: Pislaru Alexandru)
Mihăilești town (Mayor: Vasile I. Corneliu)
Gorj County
Rovinari town (Mayor: Lungu Ilie)
Mehedinți County
Strehaia town (Mayor: Toma Viorel)
Tulcea County
Măcin town (Mayor: Simion Ion)