Editing Politics of Romania (section)

=== 2000–2004 ===

Constantinescu stated in 2000 that he is no longer running for a second term, claiming that the system had defeated him. The CDR-led coalition with its new candidate [[Mugur Isărescu]] lost the first round of presidential elections held in November 2000 as a result of popular dissatisfaction with infighting among the constituent parties during the preceding four years and the economic hardship brought about by structural reforms. In the second round, Ion Iliescu, running again as the [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Social Democratic Party]] (PSD) candidate, won by a wide margin over extreme nationalist [[Greater Romania Party]] (PRM) candidate [[Corneliu Vadim Tudor]]. Iliescu subsequently appointed [[Adrian Năstase]] Prime Minister. In the Parliament, the PSD government (like its predecessor) relied on the support of the [[Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania|UDMR/RMDSZ]], which did not join the cabinet but negotiated annual packages of legislation and other measures favoring Romania's ethnic Hungarians (essentially through a [[Confidence and supply|confidence and supply agreement]]).

Năstase, in his four years as prime minister, continued the previous government's pro-Western foreign policy. The period was characterized by political stability unprecedented in post-communist Romania and consistent economic growth. Romania joined [[NATO]] in the spring of 2004 and signed an accession treaty to join the EU in 2007. However, the PSD government was plagued by allegations of corruption which would be significant factors in its eventual defeat in local and [[2004 Romanian general election|national elections in 2004]].

In September 2003, the [[Democratic Party (Romania)|Democratic Party]] (PD) and the [[National Liberal Party (Romania)|National Liberal Party]] (PNL) formed an electoral alliance, more specifically the [[Justice and Truth Alliance|Justice and Truth]] (DA) Alliance, as a mainstream opposition bloc to the ruling PSD. The DA Alliance agreed, among other measures, to vote as a bloc in the parliament and local councils and run common candidates in national and local elections. In October 2003, the country held a referendum on several constitutional amendments deemed necessary for EU accession. The amendments included provisions to allow foreigners to own land in Romania and to change the president's term from four to five years.