National Peasants' Party

This article is about the Romanian political party. For the Hungarian political party, see National Peasant Party (Hungary).
National Peasants' Party
Partidul Național Țărănesc
Last president Iuliu Maniu
Founded 10 October 1926
Dissolved 1948
Merger of Romanian National Party and Peasants' Party
Succeeded by Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party (1989)
Ideology Monarchism,
Conservative corporatism,
Conservatism,
Agrarianism
Dissolved by Communist Authorities
Politics of Romania
Political parties
Elections

The National Peasants' Party (Partidul Național Țărănesc or PNȚ) was a Romanian political party, formed in 1926[1] through the fusion of the Romanian National Party (Partidul Național Român) from Transylvania and the Peasants' Party (Partidul Țărănesc) from the prewar kingdom. It was in power for most of the time between 1928 and 1933 with longtime leader Iuliu Maniu as prime minister. A moderately conservative party, with some left-wing corporatist views (supporting, for instance, voluntary cooperative farming), it remained staunchly pro-monarchy.[2]

A former member, Corneliu Coposu, claimed that 270,000[3] PNȚ members were sent to prisons and work camps, where three quarters of them perished, beginning in 1947 when the party was banned by the Communist government following the Tămădău Affair. Both party president Iuliu Maniu and deputy leader Ion Mihalache died in prison during the Communist regime.

Former PNȚ members Corneliu Coposu and Ion Rațiu founded a new party in December 1989 under the name Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party (Partidul Național Țărănesc Creștin și Democrat, PNȚCD or PNȚcd). It was the first officially registered political party after the fall of Communism.

Notable members

References

  1. ↑ Ioan Scurtu, Viața Politică din România 1918–1944 ("Political Life in Romania 1918–1944"), Editura Albatros, Bucharest, 1982 indicates the Romanian National Party and the National Peasants' Party as the leading opposition parties coming out of the 4 January 1926 election (p.102); by 6 June 1927 there was a single merged party (p. 103).
  2. ↑ (Romanian) "PNTCD gandeste revenirea la monarhie prin Printul Nicolae" ("PNTCD Mulls the Restoration of the Monarchy through Prince Nicholas"), Ziua, March 1, 2002. Accessed online 18 October 2006.
  3. ↑ (Romanian) Cristian Patrasconiu, "Victime pentru Basescu: Episodul 1: Teroarea cu randament maxim" ("Victims for Băsescu - Episode 1: Maximum Efficiency Terror"), Cotidianul, October 10, 2006. Accessed online 18 October 2006.

External links