Editing Politics of Romania (section)

=== 2008–2012 ===

The November 2008 parliamentary elections were close, with the [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Social Democrats]] (PSD) winning 33.9 percent of the vote, President Traian Băsescu's centre-right [[Democratic Liberal Party (Romania)|Liberal Democrats]] (PDL) taking 32.34 percent, and the ruling [[National Liberal Party (Romania)|National Liberals]] (PNL) receiving 18.6 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=99418|title=Romania Election Results Show Prospect of Tough Coalition Negotiations|access-date=10 June 2015}}</ref> The Liberal Democrats and Social Democrats formed a coalition after the election. Former prime minister Theodor Stolojan withdrew his candidacy for the premiership and President Băsescu nominated [[Emil Boc]], president of the Liberal Democrats, as prime minister.

With the onset of the [[Great Recession]], the Romanian political scene saw tensions between the president and the prime minister on the one hand as well as between the general population on the other hand. Tensions escalated with a [[2012 Romanian constitutional crisis|2012 political crisis]] and another attempt to impeach President Băsescu. In the [[2012 Romanian presidential impeachment referendum|referendum]], more than 7.4 million people (nearly 90 percent) supported Băsescu's removal from office. However, the Constitutional Court invalidated the referendum because the majority of the population did not vote (the voter turnout was 46%); Băsescu had called the referendum a ''[[coup d'état]]'' and asked the public to boycott it. All these events have been heavily criticized by international political figures, most notably by German chancellor [[Angela Merkel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediafax.ro/politic/angela-merkel-considera-inacceptabila-incalcarea-statului-de-drept-in-romania-9835221|title=Angela Merkel: Este inacceptabilă încălcarea statului de drept în România. Răspunsul lui Victor Ponta|work=Mediafax|access-date= 19 June 2020|language=ro}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediafax.ro/politic/cronologie-2012-anul-razboiului-politic-declinul-popularitatii-lui-basescu-vehiculul-electoral-al-usl-10414246|title=2012, anul războiului politic. Declinul popularității lui Băsescu - vehiculul electoral al USL|work=Mediafax|access-date= 19 June 2020|language=ro}}</ref>