Force of the Right

Political party in Romania

Force of the Right

Forța Dreptei

Abbreviation| FD
President| Ludovic Orban
Spokesman| Ionel Dancă
Founded| 14 December 2021
Split from| National Liberal Party (PNL)
Membership| c. 20,000[1]
Ideology| Liberal conservatism[2]
Christian democracy[3]
Pro-Europeanism[4]
Political position| Centre-right[5] to right-wing[6]
National affiliation| United Right Alliance
(2023–2024)
Alliance of Liberal-Conservative Right Forces
(since September 2024)
European affiliation| European People's Party (intention)
Colours|  Green
Slogan| Prin noi înșine!
("Through Ourselves!")
Senate|

0 / 136

Chamber of Deputies|

0 / 330

County councilors|

17 / 1,338

Website
forta-dreptei.ro

* Politics of Romania
* Political parties
* Elections

Force of the Right (Romanian: Forța Dreptei, FD), sometimes translated as Right's Force or Right Force, is a liberal-conservative political party in Romania founded in December 2021 by Ludovic Orban, former National Liberal Party (PNL) president and former Prime Minister of Romania between 2019 and 2020, in opposition to the current leadership of the PNL which is currently officially led by Nicolae Ciucă and unofficially by Klaus Iohannis.[a][10]

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (March 2025)

|

## History

[edit]

On 3 October 2021, former Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, who had been previously defeated for the leadership of the National Liberal Party (PNL) by Florin Cîțu at the PNL congress held in September 2021 at Romexpo in Bucharest, stated that he is willing "to create a new political construction which would be ready to continue PNL's legacy".[11] In this regard, Orban was walking in the steps of another former PNL Prime Minister, more specifically Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who left the PNL earlier in 2015 (also in opposition to Iohannis) in order to establish the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE).

Furthermore, commentators claimed Orban's faction was going to part ways with the PNL should he not be designated PM after Florin Cîțu's dismissal by the Parliament, which also happened in the meantime along with the nominations of former PM Dacian Cioloș of Save Romania Union (USR) and Nicolae Ciucă of PNL proper (the latter serving as acting PM between Orban's and Cîțu's premierships/terms).[12][13]

By 2 November 2021, Orban together with 14 other parliamentarians left the PNL parliamentary group.[14] In response, the current leadership of the PNL announced its intention to exclude from the party everyone taking this move, emphasizing that "the door of PNL is closed to those who make fun of PNL".[15][16] On 12 November 2021, the current leadership of the PNL expelled Orban at the proposal of Dan Vîlceanu, a supporter of Florin Cîțu.[17] By 23 November 2021, the pro-Orban parliamentarians who left the PNL parliamentary group left the party itself as well,[18] being followed in this move by the entirety of the National Liberal Youth (the PNL's youth wing)'s Sector 3 branch on 27 November 2021.[19] Orban said that he rejects all neo-Marxist-progressive currents, and that the new party will be liberal conservative.[20][21]

Originally, the party was going to be named the Liberal Force (Romanian: Forța Liberală, FL).[10] On 14 December 2021, Orban submitted the documents necessary in order to establish the new party, which was then going to be named after the name of his motion used to run for a second term as PNL president at the September 2021 PNL congress, more specifically the Right's Force/Force of the Right, that will be "valid until the [first] congress of the party".[22] Orban said the Force of the Right is a pro-European party, which is not anti-establishment, and which wants to join the European People's Party (EPP).[23] In February 2022, the parliamentary group of right-wing deputies was established to represent FD in the Chamber of Deputies, with Violeta Alexandru as its leader.[24]

On 14 December 2023, Save Romania Union, Force of the Right and the People's Movement Party officially announced the creation of a right-wing electoral alliance to contest in the 2024 elections.[25] On 18 December, the alliance was formally named as United Right Alliance.[26]

## Leadership

[edit]

Also served as Minister of Transport between 2007 and 2008 in the Second Tăriceanu cabinet, Prime Minister between 2019 and 2020, and President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania between 2020 and 2021 (as well as president of the National Liberal Party between 2017 and 2021)

Nº  | Name
Born - Died | Portrait  | Term start  | Term end  | Duration

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Ludovic Orban
(1963–) |  | December 2021  | present | Incumbent

## Electoral history

[edit]

### Legislative elections

[edit]

Election  | Chamber | Senate | Position  | Aftermath

|
|
|
|

Votes  | %  | Seats  | Votes  | %  | Seats
2020 | did not exist1 |

16 / 330

| did not exist |

3 / 136

| —  | PNL-USR PLUS-UDMR government (2020–2021)
Opposition to PNL-UDMR minority government (2021)
Opposition to CNR government (2021–present)
2024 | 189,900  | 2.05  | 0  | 173,703  | 1.88  | 0  |  | Extra-parliamentary

Notes

1 The MPs were elected on PNL's electoral list (3 additional ones who subsequently joined the group through party switching in the Chamber of Deputies were initially elected on AUR's list). Initially, there were 14 MPs representing the FD in the Chamber of Deputies but one left their parliamentary group before the arrival of the aforementioned 3 party switchers from AUR.

### Presidential elections

[edit]

Election  | Candidate  | First round  | Second round

|
|
|

Votes  | Percentage  | Position  | Votes  | Percentage  | Position
2024 | Ludovic Orban2 | 20,089 |

0.22%

|  11th | election annulled
2025 | Nicușor Dan | TBD | TBD |  TBD | TBD | TBD |  TBD

### European elections

[edit]

Election | Votes | % | MEPs | Position | EU Party

|
|
|
|
|

2024 | 778,901 | 8.71 |

0 / 33

|  3rd 1 | EPP

Note:
1ADU members: USR (2 MEPs), PMP (1 MEP) and FD (no mandates).

## See also

[edit]

* List of political parties in Romania

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Article 84 of the Constitution of Romania forbids the President from being a member of a political party.[7] Officially, Iohannis led PNL from 28 June to 18 December 2014, when he suspended his party membership in order to serve as President of Romania, as per the Romanian law.[8][9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Ludovic Orban: "PNL este vasalul PSD!" Forța Dreptei vrea 15 primării în Vâlcea, printre care Râmnicu Vâlcea, Drăgășani și Băbeni". 26 November 2023.
2. ^ "Orban apasă pedala discursului conservator în PNL. Ce spun specialiştii despre poziţionările celor doi candidaţi la şefia partidului". 5 July 2021.
3. ^ "Ludovic Orban anunță un nou partid bazat pe ideologia liberală și valorile creștine". G4 Media. 12 November 2021.
4. ^ "Ludovic Orban, mesaj de Ziua Europei: Din momentul în care am devenit membri ai UE, România a mers înainte constant și viața românilor a fost din ce în ce mai bună". 9 May 2021.
5. ^ "Orban a anunţat înfiinţarea unui nou partid: Forţa Dreptei. Ce doctrină va avea noul partid".
6. ^ "Orban a apasat pedala discursului conservator". 5 July 2021.
7. ^ Article 84, Section 1 of the Constitution of Romania (2003)
8. ^ "Klaus Iohannis, noul PREȘEDINTE al PNL: "Invit în partid pe cei care au crezut că le va fi mai bine afară"". Mediafax.
9. ^ "Iohannis: Mi-am anunțat demisia din PNL. Mulțumesc pentru că am avut onoarea să fiu președintele PNL". Mediafax.
10. ^ a b Alin Bratu (13 October 2021). "Noul partid al lui Ludovic Orban s-ar putea numi Forța Liberală – surse". G4 Media. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
11. ^ "Orban amenință că își face partid: Sunt gata să creez o construcție care să continue trecutul PNL". Digi24. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
12. ^ "Președintele Iohannis îl propune pe Dacian Cioloș pentru funcția de premier, după consultările cu partidele". Știrile Pro TV. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
13. ^ "Consultări la Cotroceni. Iohannis: "Am decis să-l desemnez drept candidat pentru funcția de prim-ministru pe Nicolae Ciucă"". Digi24 (in Romanian). 21 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
14. ^ "Numărul parlamentarilor care au plecat din grupul PNL a urcat la 15. Senatorul Ion Iordache, ultimul care a urmat exemplul lui Ludovic Orban". HotNews. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
15. ^ "Roman cere excluderea liberalilor care și-au dat demisia din grupul parlamentar: "A mai încercat și Tăriceanu să rupă PNL. Acum nu mai există politic"". Adevărul. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
16. ^ "Deputatul Ionel Dancă a demisionat din grupul parlamentar liberal: Noua conducere a PNL, în parteneriat cu președintele Iohannis, au aruncat țara în haos și au distrus coaliția de guvernare / PNL merge în genunchi, cerșind sprijin la PSD cu căciula în mână". G4 Media. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
17. ^ "Biroul Executiv al PNL a votat excluderea lui Ludovic Orban din partid. "Sunt liber să construiesc o nouă forță politică"". Digi24. 12 November 2021.
18. ^ Ruptură în PNL. Orban şi alți 16 liberali au demisionat din partid: Demisia este un început. Vom începe o construcție solidă
19. ^ "Coadă la depunerea demisiilor din PNL: o întreagă organizație pleacă din partid". stiripesurse.ro. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
20. ^ "Ludovic Orban: "PNL respinge toate curentele neo-marxist-progresiste. Moțiunea mea este una liberal-conservatoare"". 19 August 2021.
21. ^ "Breaking. Ludovic Orban: Îmi voi da demisia din PNL și voi continua să-i reprezint pe românii care cred cu adevărat într-un proiect bazat pe valori liberale, creștin-democrate, conservatoare". G4 Media. 22 November 2021.
22. ^ Ludovic Orban și-a înființat un nou partid. Cum se va numi noua formațiune politică
23. ^ "Ludovic Orban (Forța Dreptei): Vrem să ne afiliem la PPE. Nu suntem un partid antisistem, eu cred în proiectul european". 27 December 2021.
24. ^ Apariție nouă în Parlamentul României. Partidul care își înființează grup la Camera Deputaților
25. ^ "SURSE: USR, PMP și Forța Dreptei au bătut palma și lansează Polul de Dreapta, o alianță pentru alegerile din 2024". 14 December 2023.
26. ^ "Drulă, Orban și Tomac au lansat Alianța Dreapta Unită. S-au împărțit deja locurile eligibile de pe listele pentru europarlamentare". 18 December 2023.

* v
* t
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Political parties in Romania

Parliamentary|

* Social Democratic Party
* Social Liberal Humanist Party
* National Liberal Party
* Force of the Right
* Save Romania Union
* Renewing Romania's European Project
* Justice and Respect in Europe for All Party
* Alliance for the Union of Romanians
* S.O.S. Romania
* Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania
* Romanian Nationhood Party
* Association of Italians
* Association of Macedonians
* Bulgarian Union of Banat–Romania
* Community of the Lipovan Russians in Romania
* Cultural Union of Ruthenians
* Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
* Democratic Turkish Union
* Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs
* Democratic Union of Turkic-Muslim Tatars
* Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania
* Hellenic Union
* League of Albanians
* Party of the Roma
* Union of Armenians
* Union of Croatians
* Union of Poles
* Union of Serbs
* Union of the Ukrainians

Extraparliamentary|

* Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party
* Alliance for the Homeland
* Greater Romania Party
* Green Party
* Nation People Together
* People's Movement Party
* PRO Romania
* Ecologist Party
* National Rebirth Alliance
* Noua Dreaptă
* Romanian Nationhood Party
* Romanian Socialist Party
* The Right Alternative
* Volt Romania

Defunct

Nationalist|

* Democratic Nationalist Party
* Democratic Union Party
* National Party
* National Union from Banat
* Romanian National Unity Party
* United Romania Party

Liberal|

* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
* Free and Independent Faction
* Liberal Union–Brătianu
* National Liberal Party
* National Liberal Party–Brătianu
* National Liberal Party–Câmpeanu
* National Liberal Party–Tătărescu
* Radical Party

Conservative|

* Civic Force
* Conservative Party
* Conservative-Democratic Party
* Constitutional Party
* National Democratic Christian Party
* National Renaissance Front
* People's Party (1918–1938)
* People's Party (2005–2006)
* Progressive Conservative Party
* Romanian National Party
* Vlad Țepeș League

Left-wing|

* Banat Socialist Party
* Communist Party (Nepeceriști)
* Democratic National Salvation Front
* Democratic Party of Labour
* Labor Party
* National Salvation Front
* Party of Social Solidarity
* Worker-Peasant Bloc
* People's Party – Dan Diaconescu
* Romanian Communist Party
* Romanian Social Democratic Party (1927–1948)
* Romanian Social Democratic Party (1990–2001)
* Romanian Socialist Democratic Party
* Romanian Socialist Party
* Social Democratic Party of Bukovina
* Social Democratic Party
* Social Democratic Workers' Party
* Socialist Party of Labour
* Social Protection People's Party
* Socialist Party
* Socialist Party of Transylvania
* Socialist Workers Party
* United Socialist Party

Agrarian|

* Agrarian League
* Agrarian Union Party
* Bessarabian Peasants' Party
* Democratic Agrarian Party
* Democratic Peasants' Party
* Democratic Peasants' Party–Lupu
* Democratic Peasants' Party–Stere
* League Against Usury
* National Agrarian Party
* National Peasants' Party
* National Peasants' Party–Alexandrescu
* Peasants' Party
* Peasants' Party–Lupu
* Ploughmen's Front
* Radical Peasants' Party
* Socialist Peasants' Party
* Transylvanian Peasants' Party

Far-right|

* Citizen Bloc
* Crusade of Romanianism
* Iron Guard
* National Christian Party
* National-Christian Defense League
* National Fascist Movement
* National Italo-Romanian Cultural and Economic Movement
* National Romanian Fascio
* National Socialist Party
* Romanian Action
* Romanian Front

Ethnic minority|

* Autonomous Swabian Party
* Bratstvo Community of Bulgarians in Romania
* Cultural Union of Albanians
* Democratic Union of the Roma
* German Party
* German People's Party
* General Jewish Labour Bund in Romania
* Group of Transylvanian Saxons
* Hungarian People's Party
* Hungarian People's Union
* Hungarian Union
* Italian Community
* Jewish Democratic Committee
* Jewish National People's Party
* Jewish Party
* Magyar Party
* National Democratic Hungarian-Szekler Party
* National Italo-Romanian Cultural and Economic Movement
* People's Council Party
* Swabian Group
* Ukrainian National Party
* Ukrainian Workers' Party
* Union of Romanian Jews

Other|

* Ecological Movement
* Ecologist Union of Romania Party
* Union of Patriots/National Popular Party
* National Reconstruction Party
* Party of Free Change
* Party of Young Free Democrats
* Republican Party (1993–2004)
* Republican Party (1990–1993)
* Transylvania–Banat League

Alliances|

* Alliance for Romanian Unity
* Alliance PSD+PC
* Centre Left Alliance
* Centre Right Alliance
* Christian Liberal Alliance
* Democratic Group of the Centre
* Federation of Socialist Parties from Romania
* Front of Socialist Unity and Democracy
* Green Ecologist Party
* Hungarian German Bloc
* Justice and Truth Alliance
* National Liberal Ecologist Alliance
* National Union PSD+PUR
* People's Democratic Front
* Red Quadrilateral
* Right Romania Alliance
* Romanian Democratic Convention
* Social Democratic Pole of Romania
* Social Democratic Union
* Social Liberal Union
* USR PLUS

* Portal:Politics
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