Romanian Communist Party

Romanian Communist Party – Negative influence 1921 – formation from the extreme left wing of PSDR. Vladimir Tismaneanu – messianic sect – because of it’s low support, the PCR is generally considered as an alien force, thus gaining little legitimacy. Satellite party – it is subordinated to Comintern and Moscow => supports actions which are not perceived as good for the country. 1946: PCR comes to power 1946 elections – electoral fraud1. King Michael abdicates. 1948-1956: Stalinism Three main objectives: • Economic – changing the market economy based on private property into a central-planning one. The factories would be the property of the state, which directs the main economic trends. 1946 – Nationalization of the National Bank. 1948 – Nationalization of industrial factories, banks, mines and transport companies.2 Destruction of small and medium companies; Agriculture – creation of collective farms. •

Economic – development of the heavy industry, a fact which for a predominantly agrarian country like Romania, was devastating. Collectivization process – 1949-1952 + 1958-19623 Peasants were forced to join collective farms known as Gospodării Agricole Colective (GAC), renamed afterwards as Cooperative Agricole de Producţie (CAP). •

Complete destruction of civil society and control of the intellectual and social life of the citizens. Intellectually – annihilation of any authentic, creative form of thinking. Literature, history, art and philosophy – all had to be ideologically subordinated to the political sphere.4 Annihilation or incarceration of the political adversaries – under the orders received from Kremlin, PMR/PCR practically decimated the inter-bellum Romanian intellectual elite. 1

Cioroianu, Pe umerii lui Marx. O introducere în istoria comunismului românesc ("On the Shoulders of Marx. An Incursion into the History of Romanian Communism"), Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2005, p.64-66; 2 Vladimir Tismaneanu, Stalinism pentru Eterntitate, Editura Polirom, Bucharest, 2003, p. 146 3 Ghita Ionescu, Comunism in Rumania, p. 337. 4 Vladimir Tismaneanu, ibid. p. 147.

Physical extermination of the former political class and all those who opposed PMR/PCR or the dominant ideology followed shortly after PMR gained power in Romania. These years were marked by a series of reforms that followed the Soviet model. By 1965, there were approximately 1 million and a half members in the PCR (renamed as such in 1965), which roughly means 7% of Romania’s population at that time. PCR: 1970s Crisis 1965 – Ceausescu planned a systematization of rural areas, which meant to urbanize Romania at a fast pace (of over 13,000 communes, the country was supposed to be left with 6,000)5 1970s – Ceausescu allowed ethnic Germans to leave Romania. As a result, around 200.000 Germans left, most of them Transylvanian Saxons and Banat Swabians. Political Repression – beginning in 1971. Dynastic Socialism – Ceausescu puts in high position his relatives => huge impact on Romanian political culture. George Schopflin – infantilization of the population. Daniel Barbu – civil society becomes anomic.

Marius Stanciu, SPE II

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Deletant & Ionescu, p.47-49