Democratic Nationalist Party (Romania)
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The Democratic Nationalist Party or Nationalist Democratic Party (, PND) was a political party in
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
, established by historian
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
(who was also its longest-serving leader) and jurist
A. C. Cuza Alexandru C. Cuza (8 November 1857 – 3 November 1947), also known as A. C. Cuza, was a Romanian far-right politician and economist. Early life Born in Iași, Cuza attended secondary school in his native city and in Dresden, Saxony, Germany, ...
. Its support base was in the lower reaches of the Romanian middle class, and, especially through Cuza's ideology, it reflected the xenophobia,
economic antisemitism Economic antisemitism is antisemitism that uses stereotypes and canards that are based on negative perceptions or assertions of the economic status, occupations or economic behaviour of Jews, at times leading to various governmental policies and ...
, and producerism of that particular environment. The PND was a weak challenge to the mainstream political forces, either conservative or liberal, failing in its bid to become Romania's third-strongest party. By 1916, it was effectively split between Iorga's moderates and Cuza's radicals, suspending its activity for the remainder of World War I. The PND reemerged as a significant force in
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
, after November 1918. It frequently changed names and refined its official stance, becoming closely aligned with Iorga's evolving ideas on society and politics. During the early 1920s, it trailed to the left of the political spectrum, caucusing with the Peasants' Party, and supporting a "Democratic Bloc" coalition against the National Liberals; its far-right faction seceded and became the
National-Christian Defense League The National-Christian Defense League ( ro, Liga Apărării Național Creștine, LANC) was a far-right political party of Romania formed by A. C. Cuza. Origins The LANC had its roots in the National Christian Union, formed in 1922 by Cuza and th ...
. Around 1925, the PND itself returned to national conservatism, briefly merging with the
Romanian National Party The Romanian National Party ( ro, Partidul Național Român, PNR), initially known as the Romanian National Party in Transylvania and Banat (), was a political party which was initially designed to offer ethnic representation to Romanians in the ...
, but resuming independence in 1926, when the latter merged into the
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc, or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It w ...
. It reemerged with an agenda supporting
technocracy Technocracy is a form of government in which the decision-maker or makers are selected based on their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge. This system explicitly contrasts wi ...
and
corporatism Corporatism is a collectivist political ideology which advocates the organization of society by corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, on the basis of their common interests. The ...
, and was brought to power in 1931, when
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of th ...
appointed Iorga as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
. The PND and its allies attempted to tackle the
Great Depression in Romania The Great Depression ( ro, Marea Criză Economică or, rarely, ) of 1929–1933, which affected the whole world, had several consequences in the Kingdom of Romania. Romania had been among the winner countries of World War I. It received several n ...
with controversial measures such as
debt relief Debt relief or debt cancellation is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations. From antiquity through the 19th century, it refers to domestic debts, in particu ...
, and the government was voted out of office in the 1932 elections. Iorga's version of middle-class nationalism faded into political insignificance with the advent of fascist movements, in particular the Iron Guard; his own growing support for authoritarianism led him to dissolve the PND in 1938, when he and other cadres joined Carol's
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front ( ro, Frontul Renașterii Naționale, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romani ...
. He participated in the clampdown against the Iron Guard, which led to his killing in 1940. The PND was revived clandestinely during World War II, with Petre Topa at its helm. In this final part of its existence, it joined up with liberal and socialist forces in opposing the Ion Antonescu dictatorship. It supported the coup of August 1944, and afterward enjoyed a brief existence as a legal party, before merging into the
National Liberal Party–Tătărescu The National Liberal Party–Tătărescu ( ro, Partidul Național Liberal-Tătărescu, PNL-Tătărescu) was a liberal and social liberal political party in the Kingdom of Romania and then in the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was established ...
. From ca. 1950, Topa and various former PND affiliates were imprisoned by the Romanian communist regime, while others were recovered and enjoyed high favor.


History


Origins

Iorga and Cuza traced their collaboration to 1895, when they were among the founders of a short-lived Universal Antisemitic Alliance. The PND's existence was formalized on (
Saint George's Day Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon and Catalonia. Sai ...
) as a union of two groups respectively led by Iorga and Cuza. Iorga had previously entered and left the mainline
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
(PC). Putting out the nationalist review '' Neamul Românesc'', he had also created a string of cultural-political societies, including the Brotherhood of Loyal Romanians, which had brought him into direct contact with Cuza; both men ran for
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
seats as the "nationalist-democratic candidates" in 1907 (only Iorga was elected). By 1909, Cuza had also joined Iorga's lecturing team at
Vălenii de Munte Vălenii de Munte () is a town in Prahova County, southern Romania (the historical region of Muntenia), with a population of 11,707 as of 2011. It lies In the Teleajen river valley, north of the county seat of Ploiești. The town's sister cities ...
, where he outlined his producerist worldview: "Romania seems to have turned into a sewage canal ..for all sorts of ethnic filth, and the Romanian cannot sustain himself, by honest labor, in his own country—so he perishes." In its original form, the PND was united around the ideals of
economic antisemitism Economic antisemitism is antisemitism that uses stereotypes and canards that are based on negative perceptions or assertions of the economic status, occupations or economic behaviour of Jews, at times leading to various governmental policies and ...
, postulating that
Romanian Jews The history of the Jews in Romania concerns the Jews both of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is present-day Romanian territory. Minimal until the 18th century, the size of the Jewish population increased after ...
were a parasitical or exploitative stratum of society. Its earliest recorded symbol was the right-facing swastika (卐), or " Aryan cross", which Cuza used as a symbol of his antisemitic struggle. Beyond that, the party's roots were in the more radical forms of generically
ethnic nationalism Ethnic nationalism, also known as ethnonationalism, is a form of nationalism wherein the nation and nationality are defined in terms of ethnicity, with emphasis on an ethnocentric (and in some cases an ethnocratic) approach to various politi ...
: four years before the PND's foundation, Iorga had sparked a riot against the National Theater, picked out for staging French plays, untranslated. Structurally, the PND contested the third-party position, behind the PC and the dominant National Liberal Party (PNL). It was the first lower-middle-class organization in Romanian politics, its antisemitism and traditionalism being also manifestations of anti-capitalist anxieties. Its democratic demands included proposals to reform the 1866 Constitution by introducing "universal suffrage for the Romanians, with the representation of minorities". Continuing Iorga's propaganda work, the party also endorsed the nationalism of Romanian communities in Bukovina and
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
(held by
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
), and in Bessarabia (incorporated into the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
). Through PND and the
Cultural League for the Unity of All Romanians Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
, Iorga maintained alive the cause of
irredentism Irredentism is usually understood as a desire that one state annexes a territory of a neighboring state. This desire is motivated by ethnic reasons (because the population of the territory is ethnically similar to the population of the parent sta ...
and "
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
". A final major rally point for the PND, was the agrarian platform, on which the PND clashed with the mainstream Conservatives. Explicitly set out against the "old parties", Iorga's group pushed for land reform through purchase, in effect "granting the peasants that large part of the land that is currently occupied by a fictitious great landed property". Iorga's stance on national and agrarian issue had made him a target for surveillance by the
Siguranța Siguranța was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety ( ro, Di ...
secret police, which kept records of his movements. Radu Petrescu
"Enigma Ilie Cătărău (I)"
in '' Contrafort'', Nr. 5-6/2012


Early history

The party was nominally led by its two founders as co-presidents; in practice, Cuza had a supporting role, with Iorga supervising all aspects, including recruitment.Bozdoghină (2003), p. 69 Overall, however, Iorga was largely uninterested in creating himself a centralized and coherent party, preferring to focus on cultural politics. The PND was always strongest in
Western Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova), also called Western Moldavia or Romanian Moldavia, is the historic and geographical part of the former Principality of Moldavia situated in eastern and north-eastern Romania. Until its union with Wallachia in 1859, the P ...
and
Oltenia Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
, with some additional fiefs in Brăila and
Ploiești Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest. The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Blejoi commune ...
.Heinen, p. 86 In
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, the cadres included aristocrat Vasile Kogălniceanu, actor Petre Liciu, and
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
chaplain
Gheorghe Cotenescu Gheorghe is a Romanian given name and surname. It is a variant of George, also a name in Romanian but with soft Gs. It may refer to: Given name * Gheorghe Adamescu * Gheorghe Albu * Gheorghe Alexandrescu * Gheorghe Andriev * Gheorghe Apostol ...
. They were joined by Leon Cosmovici, the biologist and social worker. The Moldavian wing included veterans of far-right antisemitism such as Ion Zelea Codreanu and
Corneliu Șumuleanu Corneliu Șumuleanu (November 4, 1869–December 15, 1937) was a Romanian chemist and far-right politician. Biography Born in Iași, he attended the city's National College, following which he enrolled in the Faculty of Physical and Chemica ...
, alongside writer Ion Ciocârlan.Cor., "Scrisoare din București. Congresul partidului naționalist-democrat", in ''Românul (Arad)'', Nr. 93/1912, pp. 3–4 At a regional level, the party had in its ranks young radical-right militants such as Gheorghe Clime and Nichifor Robu. Also joining the PND were two Bessarabians: Dumitru C. Moruzi, the novelist, and Ilie Cătărău, the bullfighter and double agent (for the Siguranța and the Russian Okhrana). After inconclusive negotiations for an alliance with the PC,"Cronici bucureștene", in ''Unirea'', Nr. 6/1911, p. 70 the PND contested the elections of 1911 alone. Its main adversary was another candidate for the third-force role in politics, the
Conservative-Democratic Party The Conservative-Democratic Party (, PCD) was a political party in Romania. Over the years, it had the following names: the Democratic Party, the Nationalist Conservative Party, or the Unionist Conservative Party. The Conservative-Democratic Part ...
(PCD). The Bucharest list was headed by Iorga, while Kogălniceanu ran against them, as an independent; Liciu also ran, either as a PND affiliate or as an independent. In the wake of the elections, PND men complained that they had been harassed by the PCD, and that they could not hope to compete with it in the propaganda war. However, the PND itself also took up violence during the events, when Cătărău intervened to support Codreanu, who was running for a seat in
Fălticeni Fălticeni (; ''german: Foltischeni; hu, Falticsén;'' he, פלטיצ'ן yi, פאלטישאן) is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Western Moldavia. Fălticeni is the second largest urba ...
."Atentatul dela Dobrițin. 4 Martie", in ''Românul (Arad)'', Nr. 41/1914, p. 4 The party took some 15% of the popular vote in those precincts where it put up candidates, but failed to win any seats. In the recall vote of 1912, Cuza and Iorga were elected together, although Cuza lost the fief of Iași; Iorga lost at Covurlui, but won in Prahova. They were to remain for long the party's only two parliamentarians, and represented the more marginal Second Colleges, comprising the urban underclass. By then, the PND was holding annual congresses on Saint George's Day, with peasant participation. During the one of 1912, with Cuza absent due to illness, Iorga announced that he no longer pursued the Bucharest proletarian vote, and that the party would only focus on campaigning among the intellectuals, merchants, artisans and the peasantry. Its propaganda program, carried out in conjunction with the Cultural League, included setting up public libraries. The event also market the official launch of Cuza's newspaper, ''Unirea'', and included a
memorial service A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
for the recently deceased Liciu. The congress of 1913 showed the growing rift between Cuza and Iorga: the former supported quick intervention in what became the
Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
, whereas Iorga opposed it (he was backed by various party activists, who found Cuza to be coarse and violent). The pro-war interventionist stance was also taken up by Kogălniceanu, who built on PND irredentism to propose Romania's expansion into "natural borders". Also around that time, at the
University of Iași The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University ( Romanian: ''Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza"''; acronym: UAIC) is a public university located in Iași, Romania. Founded by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, under whom the former Academia M ...
, Cuza's PND cell clashed with left-wing activists (
Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...
and Poporanists) over control of the "Student Center". Ideological differences inside the PND were again on display during early 1914, when the PNL's Ion I. C. Brătianu made public his own project for land and electoral reform. While Iorga approved of their moderation, Cuza and Codreanu campaigned for more radical policies. Inner-party tensions flared up in the first two years of World War I, during which Romania, under a PNL government, was cautiously neutral. Following his irredentism, Iorga involved himself in the camp which supported the
Entente Powers The Triple Entente (from French '' entente'' meaning "friendship, understanding, agreement") describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as well a ...
, but did so rather cautiously, placing his faith in the Brătianu administration. The party split over the issue: Cuza pushed for immediate intervention against the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
, declaring that neutralism was "absurd". At a grassroots level, Cătărău, who was probably responding to Okhrana commands, involved himself in acts of terror in Bukovina and Transylvania, trying to push Austria-Hungary into declaring war. During the international scandal which followed, he fled Romania in mysterious circumstances.


1916 suspension and 1918 revival

In September 1915, Cuza stepped up his opposition to PND policies, joining
Nicolae Filipescu Nicolae Filipescu (December 5, 1862 – September 30, 1916) was a Romanian politician. Filipescu was the mayor of Bucharest between February 1893 and October 1895. It was during his term the first electric tramways circulated in Bucharest. Betw ...
's Unionist Federation. According to Iorga, the latter group perverted the nationalist cause, using its symbols in an attempt to topple and replace Brătianu.Bozdoghină (2003), pp. 71, 72 The highly inactive PND eventually suspended its activities in September 1916, some time after Brătianu had declared war on the Central Powers. The party was thus non-existent during the subsequent offensive and defeat, and its activists took flight during the evacuation of Bucharest. Taking refuge in Iași, where he continued to put out editions of ''Neamul Românesc'', Iorga resumed his seat in the Assembly as an independent, declaring Cuza to be "dead to me". During the uncertain interval that followed Romania's peace with Germany, the former PND militants reactivated their party cells. Putting out ''Unirea'' newspaper, styled PND mouthpiece, Cuza and Codreanu announced that the party had merged into the anti-PNL coalition called People's League (later "People's Party", or PP), which was headed by General
Alexandru Averescu Alexandru Averescu (; 9 March 1859 – 2 October 1938) was a Romanian marshal, diplomat and populist politician. A Romanian Armed Forces Commander during World War I, he served as Prime Minister of three separate cabinets (as well as being ''inter ...
. Their move was rejected by Iorga, who called it an "usurpation" by "ambitious and weary men." Both Iorga and Cuza participated in the June 1918 election, won by the Conservatives under
Alexandru Marghiloman Alexandru Marghiloman (4 July 1854 – 10 May 1925) was a Romanian conservative statesman who served for a short time in 1918 (March–October) as Prime Minister of Romania, and had a decisive role during World War I. Early career Born in Buz ...
. The armistice in the West overturned the country's fortunes, reopening the possibility of creating "
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
", and thus raising Iorga's popularity. The ''Unirea'' group capitalized on this, leaving Averescu's party, and rejoining the PND, which had been formally reactivated on November 26, 1918.Bozdoghină (2003), p. 72 Before going back to its original name, it briefly existed as the "Union of National Democracy". It circulated a radical program, promising land reform through expropriation, but also attracted into its ranks defeated " Germanophiles" such as Costică Negruzzi. The reconciliation with ''Unirea'' was marred in ambiguity, as Cuza continued to support Averescu from inside the party; Iorga, meanwhile, regarded the PP as a congregation of "upstarts", and precluded any collaboration with Averescu. The reformed party also attracted into its ranks new cadres from other backgrounds, including
Gheorghe Tașcă Gheorghe Tașcă (born Iorgu Tașcă, January 30, 1875 – March 25, 1951) was a Romanian economist, lawyer, academic, diplomat, and politician. He was a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy. After a distinguished career as jurist and ...
, the economist and former Conservative. The PND remained divided on issues pertaining to antisemitism. In April 1919, the Assembly voted on
Jewish emancipation Jewish emancipation was the process in various nations in Europe of eliminating Jewish disabilities, e.g. Jewish quotas, to which European Jews were then subject, and the recognition of Jews as entitled to equality and citizenship rights. It in ...
: Iorga, taking a pragmatic approach, voted in favor, while Cuza and Codreanu were the only two parliamentarians to vote against.Heinen, p. 95 In parallel, both Cuza and Iorga drifted toward regionalism, joining the ranks of a pressure group called Brotherhood of Unified Moldavia, which reunited them with leftists such as
Paul Bujor Paul Bujor (born Pavel Bujor;Mărghitan & Mancaș, p. 43 August 2, 1862 – May 17, 1952) was a Romanian zoologist, physiologist and marine biologist, also noted as a socialist writer and politician. Hailing from rural Covurlui County, he studied ...
. The PND, however, was opposed to more radical decentralizing tendencies, and especially to corporate rights for the ethnic and religious minorities: in June, Iorga polemicized over the issue with Bukovina regionalists
Iancu Flondor Iancu Flondor (3 August 1865 – 19 October 1924) was a Romanian politician who advocated Bukovina's union with the Kingdom of Romania. He was born in the town of Storozhynets ( ro, Storojineṭ) in Northern Bukovina (now in Ukraine). His paren ...
and Mayer Ebner. The restored PND contested the November elections, carried by universal male suffrage, and the first ones involving the whole of Greater Romania. Its logo showing two hands shaking,Radu (2002), p. 575 it had as its regional ally the
Bessarabian Peasants' Party The Bessarabian Peasants' Party ( ro, Partidul Țărănesc din Basarabia, PȚB or PȚ-Bas; also ''Partidul Țărănesc Basarabean'', ''Partidul Țărănist Basarabean'') or Moldavian National Democratic Party (''Partidul Național-Democrat Moldove ...
(PȚB), on whose lists Iorga ran and won an Assembly seat at
Orhei Orhei (; Yiddish ''Uriv'' – אוריװ), also formerly known as Orgeev (russian: Орге́ев), is a city, municipality and the administrative centre of Orhei District in the Republic of Moldova, with a population of 21,065. Orhei is appro ...
. The PND emerged as the fifth largest in
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
, winning 27 seats in the Assembly of Deputies and nine in Senate; the PȚB had an additional 72 deputies. The growth was marginal, as the PND only convinced 5.7% of the Greater Romanian electorate. Iorga became a staunch critic of the electoral mores cultivated by the PNL and the PP, alleging voter intimidation and supposed communist infiltration. The PND and the PȚB became parliamentary supporters of the
Romanian National Party The Romanian National Party ( ro, Partidul Național Român, PNR), initially known as the Romanian National Party in Transylvania and Banat (), was a political party which was initially designed to offer ethnic representation to Romanians in the ...
(PNR) cabinet, presided upon by the Transylvanian conservative
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod Alexandru Vaida-Voevod or Vaida-Voievod (27 February 1872 – 19 March 1950) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician who was a supporter and promoter of the Union of Transylvania with Romania, union of Transylvania (before 1920 part of ...
. This was a moment of triumph for the anti-system and anti-PNL parties. Their multicolored coalition, called Parliamentary Bloc, also included the Peasants' Party (PȚ), the Democratic Union Party, and remnants of the Labor Party. The PP was also co-opted until Iorga, designated Assembly President, issued a verbal attack against Averescu. The latter resigned from the Interior Ministry. The PND again split into two factions, Iorga having omitted to present Cuza as a PND candidate for Averescu's post. At that junction, Iorga and his supporters pushed for Kogălniceanu to take over as Prime Minister, though the latter was under investigation for embezzlement.


FDNS

Iorga witnessed the mounting tensions between
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Ferdinand I and the Parliamentary Bloc, and, hoping to prevent Vaida's fall, presented Parliament with a land reform project. Gheorghe I. Florescu
"Corespondența personală a lui N. Iorga" (III)
in ''
Convorbiri Literare ''Convorbiri Literare'' ( Romanian: ''Literary Talks'') is a Romanian literary magazine published in Romania. It is among the most important journals of the nineteenth-century Romania. History and profile ''Convorbiri Literare'' was founded by ...
'', July 2004
On March 13, 1920, Ferdinand ordered Vaida to step down, and installed Averescu as his Prime Minister. Years later, the monarchist Iorga saw this exercise of kingly power as abusive, and a "crime of state". The People's Party organized the elections in May, securing Cuza's support. On April 26, an emergency congress of the PND reconfirmed Iorga as the party president. Cuza denounced Iorga as a sellout to "foreigners and alienated Romanians"; Iorga in turn denounced the breakaway leader as an irrational xenophobe and a "man of the past". However, as historian Armin Heinen observes, Cuza was also toning down his antisemitic discourse, since, in 1920, the idea of Jewish emancipation was "all too enshrined". Instead, his faction took up "radical slogans against the left, including threats of violence". The Iorga faction, allied with the PȚ into a Federation of National Social Democracy (FDNS), used as its symbol the sickle. Iorga's party won 10 seats in the Assembly and two in the Senate, whilst the Cuza group, or "Nationalist-Democratic Christian Party" (PNDC), won only two Assembly seats. Iorga took the deputy seat in Covurlui. He had also been proposed for an eligible position in Transylvania, but was quietly rejected by the PNR. The FDNS supported the Democratic Bloc, an anti-PNL and anti-Averescu alliance formed around Vaida-Voevod. Like Vaida, Iorga supported reconciliation with the wartime enemies, as demanded by the Supreme War Council, and the integration of ethnic minorities into Greater Romania. He engaged in heated debates with Cuza over the matter. During the Democratic Bloc episode, Iorga displayed fondness toward left-wing politicians, and promoted to ministerial office the Laborite
Nicolae L. Lupu Nicolae L. Lupu (November 4, 1876 – December 4, 1946) was a Romanian left-wing politician and social physician. Originally a leader of the Labor Party, which was joined with the Peasants' Party, Lupu served as Interior Minister in 1919–19 ...
. Viewing the
Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
deputies with amused sympathy, he later criticized the PNL's heavy-handed repression of the new Romanian Communist Party (''see
Dealul Spirii Trial Dealul Spirii Trial (Romanian language, Romanian: ''Procesul din Dealul Spirii'') was a political trial conducted by a military tribunal in the Kingdom of Romania. 271 members of the Communist Party of Romania were accused of treason after voting f ...
''). As noted by historians, the PND was, from as early as November 1918, a "
center-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ce ...
enterprise" or a "bourgeois-radical left". Observing this transition, communist
Petre Constantinescu-Iași Petre Constantinescu-Iași (25 November 1892 – 1 December 1977) was a Romanian historian, academic and communist politician. Biography Early life and education Petre Constantinescu was born in the city of Iași, in a modest family of teache ...
theorized the PND was a conjectural ally of his party, since they both rejected "capitalist oligarchy"; he argued, however, that the PND "cannot understand revolutionism ndcommunist socialism", being largely made up of "naive" intellectuals "who fetishize motherland and tribe, which are in fact covers for capitalist exploitation."


LANC schism

In September 1921, the PND agreed to fuse into the PȚ. The pact eventually crumbled when Iorga fought against the arrival into the PȚ of
Constantin Stere Constantin G. Stere or Constantin Sterea (Romanian; russian: Константин Егорович Стере, ''Konstantin Yegorovich Stere'' or Константин Георгиевич Стере, ''Konstantin Georgiyevich Stere''; also known u ...
, whom he regarded as a wartime traitor.Drăghicescu, p. 67 In December, the PND took the name of "Nationalist Peasants' Party" (''Partidul Naționalist-Țărănesc''), which it used alternatively until 1923 or 1924. In addition to ''Neamul Românesc'', still its central organ, it published several regional newspapers. These include: ''Apărarea Națională'', ''Dacia'', ''Flamura'' and ''Vremea Nouă'' of Craiova; ''Biruința'' of
Turnu Severin Drobeta-Turnu Severin (), colloquially Severin, is a city in Mehedinți County, Oltenia, Romania, on the northern bank of the Danube, close to the Iron Gates. "Drobeta" is the name of the ancient Dacian and Roman towns at the site, and the modern ...
, ''Brazda Nouă'' of
Bârlad Bârlad () is a municipiu, city in Vaslui County, Romania. It lies on the banks of the river Bârlad (river), Bârlad, which waters the high plains of Western Moldavia. At Bârlad the railway from Iași diverges, one branch skirting the river S ...
; ''Crai Nou'' of
Buzău The city of Buzău (formerly spelled ''Buzeu'' or ''Buzĕu''; ) is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carp ...
and
Focșani Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315. Geography Focșani lies at the foot of the Cur ...
; ''Cuvântul Românesc'' of
Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea (also spelled ''Rîmnicu Vîlcea'' or, in the past, ''Rîmnic-Vâlcea'', ) (population: 92,573 as per the 2011 Romanian census) is the county capital ( ro, Reședință de județ) and also the largest town of Vâlcea County, centr ...
; ''Gazeta Satelor'' of
Râmnicu Sărat Râmnicu Sărat (also spelled ''Rîmnicu Sărat'', , german: Rümnick or ''Rebnick''; tr, Remnik) is a municipiu, city in Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It was first attested in a document of 1439, and raised to the ...
; ''Poporul'' of
Cernăuți Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
; ''Răvașul Nostru'' of Fălticeni; ''Secera'' and ''Graiu Nou'' of Botoșani; ''Solia'' of
Dorohoi Dorohoi () is a municipiu, city in Botoșani County, Romania, on the right bank of the river Jijia, which broadens into a lake on the north. History Dorohoi used to be a market for the timber and farm produce of the north Moldavian highlands; m ...
. The interim PCD government, led by
Take Ionescu Take or Tache Ionescu (; born Dumitru Ghiță Ioan and also known as Demetriu G. Ionnescu; – 21 June 1922) was a Romanian centrist politician, journalist, lawyer and diplomat, who also enjoyed reputation as a short story author. Starting his ...
, was recalled in January 1922. Following Ionescu's sudden death later that year, Conservative-Democrat delegation, headed by Grigore Filipescu, approached Iorga for a fusion, but the latter insisted that they dissolve their party and enlist with the PND as simple members. The two PND factions reunited before the March 1922 elections, in which the PND used for its logo a black flag defaced with a white sickle. According to Iorga's notes, he and Codreanu toured Moldavia, where they were greeted by large crowds of peasants, but also heckled by the PNL's electoral agents; Iorga was proposed, by popular acclamation, for the Senate seat of Botoșani. After some PND candidatures were ruled out by the electoral commission, Iorga declared the election fraudulent. The party only won only five seats in the Assembly and two in the Senate. In May 1922, at the height of renewed antisemitic incidents, Cuza, with Codreanu and
Nicolae Paulescu Nicolae Constantin Paulescu (; 30 October 1869 (O.S.) – 17 July 1931) was a Romanian physiologist, professor of medicine, and politician, most famous for his work on diabetes, including patenting ''pancreine'' (a pancreatic extract containing ...
, transformed the PNDC into a "National Christian Union". Dedicated to forcefully solving the "
Jewish Question The Jewish question, also referred to as the Jewish problem, was a wide-ranging debate in 19th- and 20th-century European society that pertained to the appropriate status and treatment of Jews. The debate, which was similar to other " national ...
", and espousing religious antisemitism, it became the
National-Christian Defense League The National-Christian Defense League ( ro, Liga Apărării Național Creștine, LANC) was a far-right political party of Romania formed by A. C. Cuza. Origins The LANC had its roots in the National Christian Union, formed in 1922 by Cuza and th ...
(LANC) a year later, at a ceremony in which it flew Romanian flags defaced with swastikas. Assuming control of ''Apărarea Națională'' and ''Unirea'', it was soon joined by another PND defector, the sociologist Traian Brăileanu, who had helped organize the party's chapter in Bukovina. The PND was continuing its transformation into a moderate party. Its leader firmly condemned the terrorist activities of LANC regional leaders, primarily
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (; born Corneliu Codreanu, according to his birth certificate; 13 September 1899 – 30 November 1938) was a Romanian politician of the far right, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or ''The Legion o ...
(son of the former PND member). He also took a firm stand against the anti-Jewish riots encouraged by Cuza and the Codreanus in Iași, demanding strict legalism; he and other PND-ists were in turn denounced by the antisemites for their alleged leniency, and threatened by the
National Romanian Fascio The National Romanian Fascio ( ro, Fascia Națională Română) was a small fascist group that was active in Romania for a short time during the 1920s. Led by Titus Panaitescu Vifor, the group emerged from the short-lived ''National Fascist Pa ...
. During the following decade, Iorga's ''Neamul Românesc'' put out at most 15,000 copies per issue, a fourth of the LANC's '' Porunca Vremii''. In 1923, it was supplemented as a central organ by ''Răvașul Naționalist-Democrat'', put out in Bucharest by Tașcă. In addition to maintaining control over ''Brazda Nouă'', ''Crai Nou'', and other regional organs, the PND established other, often short-lived, newspapers and magazines. They include ''Bănățeanul'' of
Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...
, ''Credința Naționalistă'' of
Târgu Jiu Târgu Jiu () is the capital of Gorj County in the Oltenia region of Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight localities are administered by the city: Bârsești, Drăgoieni, Iezureni, Polat ...
, ''Cuvântul Naționalist'' of
Bacău Bacău ( , , ; hu, Bákó; la, Bacovia) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. At the 2016 national estimation it had a population of 196,883, making it the 12th largest city in Romania. The city is situated in the historical region of ...
, ''Dâmbovița Nouă'' of
Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște''; german: Tergowisch) is a city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița River. Târgoviște was one of the ...
, ''Democratul'' of
Tulcea Tulcea (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 73,707 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. Names The ...
, ''Îndemnul'' of Pitești, and several publications named ''Coasa''.


PNR absorption and PN revival

By 1924, Iorga had begun collaborating with
Constantin Argetoianu Constantin Argetoianu ( – 6 February 1955) was a Romanian politician, one of the best-known personalities of interwar Greater Romania, who served as the Prime Minister between 28 September and 23 November 1939. His memoirs, ''Memorii. Pentr ...
, formerly an Averescu associate, changing the PND's name to "People's Nationalist Party" (''Partidul Naționalist al Poporului'', PNP). It organized itself in the
Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
region, winning the adherence of
Avram Imbroane Avram Imbroane (December 9, 1880 – September 23, 1938) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician, businessman, and Orthodox priest. Born in the western half of Banat, he was active in nationalist agitation among that region's Romanian co ...
and his ''Banatul Românesc'' weekly, and in Bessarabia, where it put out the monthly ''Brazda''. For a while, the PNP was seen as the potential conservative pole, which would attract into its ranks the former PCD militants. By 1925, it had absorbed one other faction of the latter group, under Iulian Vrăbiescu, and a PNR dissidence, under Mișu Economu. Working from within the PNP, they sought to prevent any union between the PNP and the PNR, proposed during the party congress in Craiova (March 1925). Ultimately, the schism between Iorga and Argetoianu also prevented the conservative consolidation from occurring. Later in 1925, the PNP, alongside other conservative groups, merged into the PNR. Iorga protested against the PNL-backed electoral law of 1926, voted just weeks before new general election, which granted a "government dowry" (supplementary seats in Parliament) to the party that had a plurality of votes. He was a PNR representative at talks for a common strategy with the PP and PȚ, which ended with him rejecting Averescu's offer for a three-party merger; as a result, Averescu was called to power and presided over the electoral campaign and tally. When this tactical alliance between the king and the PP sparked consternation among the Nationals and the Peasantists, General Eracle Nicoleanu visited the opposition leaders in Iorga's home, warning them not to resort to violence. The election was carried by pro-government candidates, but, according to Iorga himself, voters were intimidated by omnipresent
Gendarmes Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (literally, " ...
. It marked a peak of LANC electoral politics, winning them 120,000 votes and ten deputies, largely in counties previously loyal to the PND. Iorga managed to win the only seats taken by the opposition in Covurlui and
Sibiu County Sibiu County () is a county ( ro, județ) of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Its county seat ( ro, reședință de județ) is the namesake town of Sibiu (german: Hermannstadt). Name In Hungarian, it is known as ''Szeben m ...
. The PNR and PȚ finally merged with each other, as the
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc, or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It w ...
(PNȚ), on October 10, 1926. On October 11, Iorga reestablished the PND under the provisional name of National Party (''Partidul Național'', PN), regretting the dispersal of his "united legion for a national future" and the PNȚ's preference for "social parties". Thus renewed, it had a square-in-square logo (回), and its Vice President was the educationist Dumitru Munteanu-Râmnic, founder of the summer school in Vălenii. Its new affiliates included the left-leaning sociologist
Gheorghe Vlădescu-Răcoasa Gheorghe Vlădescu-Răcoasa (October 22, 1895–December 17, 1989) was a Romanian sociologist, journalist, left-wing politician, and diplomat. Biography Origins and work with Gusti Born in Răcoasa, Vrancea County, his parents were Constanti ...
, who helped put out ''Neamul Românesc'' and contributed reports on its congresses, and Iorga's own son, the engineer Mircea Iorga."Asistența", in
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
, ''Cuvântarea ținută la Întrunirea Comitetului executiv al Partidului Naționalist-Democrat de la 21 Ianuarie 1934'', pp. 26–28. Bucharest: Democratic Nationalist Party & Tipografia Ziarului ''Universul'', 1934
Traian D. Lazăr
"Poeții familiei Iorga"
in '' Apostrof'', Nr. 10/2011
The party and the newspaper were targeted by repressive policies under the new Averescu government, until the Prime Minister himself was compelled by Iorga to apologize and desist. The PN ran in the June 1927 election, but had just 24,600 votes (0.9%, behind the
Peasant Workers' Bloc The Peasant Workers' Bloc ( ro, Blocul Muncitoresc-Țărănesc, BMȚ) was a political party in Romania that acted as a front group for the banned Romanian Communist Party (PCR). History In the 1926 elections the BMȚ received 1.5% of the vo ...
), and thus no seat in the resulting Assembly. Later that year, Romania's political system was reshuffled by the deaths of King Ferdinand and Brătianu. The PP and the PN found common ground in their shared resentment of the Romanian Regency regime, but also in their hostility toward the PNȚ; by June 1928, the PND also found common ground with the Ukrainian Social Democratic Party and other Bukovina regionalists, all of whom resented the PNL's centralizing policies. Iorga's party contested the elections of December 1928 as a People's Party ally, using the latter's six-pointed star as a logo. The elections were a major defeat for Averescu, whose alliance only won 2.5% of the vote and five seats in the Assembly. The PNȚ victory was seen by Iorga as proof of "demagogic debauchery".


In government

On June 6, 1930, with support from a pan-nationalist coalition that included Iorga, the deposed Prince Carol returned to Romania and deposed the Regency, enthroning himself as ''King Carol II''. In April 1931, having been dissatisfied with the PNȚ, he appointed Iorga
Prime Minister of Romania The prime minister of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul României), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul Guvernului României, link=no), is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was ...
, at the helm of a government that advertised itself as "
technocratic Technocracy is a form of government in which the decision-maker or makers are selected based on their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge. This system explicitly contrasts wi ...
" and anti-systemic. The PN contested the 1931 general election as founder of the National Union alliance, which also included Filipescu's Vlad Țepeș League (LVȚ) and Argetoianu's Agrarian Union Party (PUA). It was allied with the paramilitary Union of Volunteers in its Transylvanian constituencies, and also enjoyed nationwide support from various groups representing the ethnic minorities: the German Party, the
Union of Romanian Jews The Union of Romanian Jews ( ro, Uniunea Evreilor Români, ''UER'') was a political organisation active in Romania in the first half of the 20th century. The UER targeted all Romanian Jews who had obtained citizenship and accepted its programme of ...
, and the Ukrainian National Party.Florin-Răzvan Mihai, "Dinamica electorală a candidaților minoritari din Bucovina la alegerile generale din România interbelică", in Vasile Ciobanu, Sorin Radu (eds.), ''Partide politice și minorități naționale din România în secolul XX'', Vol. V, pp. 93, 94. Sibiu: TechnoMedia, 2010. The National Union won 289 seats in the Assembly, including one for Mircea Iorga. A PN man, the mathematician
Dimitrie Pompeiu Dimitrie D. Pompeiu (; – 8 October 1954) was a Romanian mathematician, professor at the University of Bucharest, titular member of the Romanian Academy, and President of the Chamber of Deputies. Biography He was born in 1873 in Broscăuți, ...
, became Assembly President. His Vice President was another party official, the orthopedist Petre Topa. Mircea Beuran, Benone Duțescu
"Scurtă biografie a unui spital octogenar și a primului său director"
in '' Viața Medicală'', Nr. 39 (1339), October 2012
The latter was also leader of the PN's Caliacra chapter, while Mircea Iorga had a similar position in Turda County. Although the arrival to power coincided with the worsening effects of the
Great Depression in Romania The Great Depression ( ro, Marea Criză Economică or, rarely, ) of 1929–1933, which affected the whole world, had several consequences in the Kingdom of Romania. Romania had been among the winner countries of World War I. It received several n ...
, the cabinet was divisive on economic policy. Reportedly, Prime Minister Iorga took little interest in crisis management, leaving Argetoianu, the
Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
, to be policy-maker; nevertheless, the two quarreled over details. Argetoianu and
Gheorghe Ionescu-Sisești Gheorghe Ionescu-Sisești (16 October 1885–4 June 1967) was a Romanian agronomer. He was elected titular member of the Romanian Academy in 1936,Minister of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...
, offered
debt relief Debt relief or debt cancellation is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations. From antiquity through the 19th century, it refers to domestic debts, in particu ...
for farmers (a policy borrowed from the PNȚ) and a crystallization, then liquidation, of the state's own
floating charge A floating charge is a security interest over a fund of changing assets of a company or other legal person. Unlike a fixed charge, which is created over ascertained and definite property, a floating charge is created over property of an ambulato ...
. This perceived attack on
economic liberalism Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberali ...
cause an uproar among foreign investors, and, at home, alienated Filipescu and the LVȚ. The measures were eventually ruled unconstitutional.Veiga, p. 130 The government's other tactic was to censor the press' reporting on the banking crisis and the lack of confidence, which only fueled speculation that Argetoianu had vested interest in protecting Marmorosch Blank Bank. During those months, the opposition began referring to the governing dyad as "comedic dictators". Its fall was precipitated by the civil servants' protests, in particular the jailers' strike in
Hotin Khotyn ( uk, Хотин, ; ro, Hotin, ; see other names) is a city in Dnistrovskyi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine and is located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. It hosts the administration of Khotyn urban hromada, one of the ...
. The PN contested the July 1932 elections in alliance with the PUA and a pro-Iorga list. The suffrage was marred by violence, including clashes between the state authorities and the LANC—but also between various parties and the rising radical-fascist dissidence of the LANC, led by Corneliu Codreanu, and known as the Iron Guard. These occurred after Iorga had renewed a (largely ineffective) order to ban the Guard. Nevertheless, in Communist Party directives for 1932, Iorga's own government was being referred to as "fascist".


Decline

The PN-led alliance won five Assembly seats, none of which were taken by the PN itself. The government fell, and was replaced by a new Vaida-Voevod cabinet, rallying mainly ministers from the PNȚ's Calist radical-right. The latter threatened to overturn the Argetoianu legislation, leading the PN into a "spontaneous" bloc of debt relief supporters, with the PUA, the League Against Usury, the Agrarian League, and the Georgist Liberals. In September of that year, the PN reverted to its old name of PND, being later joined by recruits such as
Ion Buzdugan Ion Alion Buzdugan ( Romanian Cyrillic and russian: Ион Буздуган, born Ivan Alexandrovici Buzdâga;Onisifor Ghibu, "Trei luni din viața Basarabiei", in '' Societatea de Mâine'', Nr. 13/1924, p. 283Constantin Poenaru, "Viața bucovine ...
, the poet and president of the PND chapter in Bălți County, and archivist C. D. Fortunescu. Vaida fell in November 1933, and
Ion G. Duca Ion Gheorghe Duca (; 20 December 1879 – 29 December 1933) was Romanian politician and the Prime Minister of Romania from 14 November to 29 December 1933, when he was assassinated for his efforts to suppress the fascist Iron Guard movement. ...
of the National Liberals replaced him. Iorga forbade the PND from enlisting in the election of December, describing it as a farce, and accusing Duca of
gerrymandering In representative democracies, gerrymandering (, originally ) is the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency. The m ...
. By 1935, Iorga was losing the support of radical youths, whose nationalism was more mystical (against Iorga's secularism), and who were enlisting in, or sympathizing with, the Iron Guard. One of them, Petre Țuțea, defined the PND as a one-man party, but also a "source of light", hoping to draw it into an alliance with the Guard, the LANC, and Vaida's
Romanian Front The Romanian Front ( ro, Frontul Românesc, FR) was a moderate fascist party created in Romania in 1935. Led by former Prime Minister Alexandru Vaida-Voevod, it originated as a right-wing splinter group from the mainstream National Peasants' Part ...
, and thus effect the destruction of the "democratic capitalist state". As Heinen notes, the PND had become "entirely insignificant" electorally; according to historian
Francisco Veiga Francisco José Veiga Rodríguez (born 1958 in Madrid) is a Spanish historian, journalist and writer. He is a doctor and professor in the Department of Contemporary History at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), where he has been a profe ...
, it was "a historical relic that grouped together the professor's most dedicated followers". It could still claim to dominate over the Iron Guard in the higher echelons of academic life, where it had 12 registered members, including Iorga, Pompeiu, and Ionescu-Sisești, whereas the Guard had 8. Among the more senior leaders, Tașcă left and joined the openly Nazi National Socialist Party. He and other former PND technocrats later switched to the National Peasantists, with Tașcă becoming that party's adviser on economic policy. Following Duca's assassination by an Iron Guard death squad, the PND watched from the side as Carol turned to collaboration with the PNL's right-wing.
Gheorghe Tătărescu : ''For the artist, see Gheorghe Tattarescu.'' Gheorghe I. Tătărescu (also known as ''Guță Tătărescu'', with a slightly antiquated pet form of his given name; 2 November 1886 – 28 March 1957) was a Romanian politician who served twice as P ...
, inclined to use "extreme nationalism" to offset the Guard, became his Premier. According to Iorga, the Duca assassination was "disgusting", but mostly dangerous in that it gave Tătărescu a free mandate to repress political life. In a 1936 interview, he suggested that the job of government was to "clamp down on all madmen", stressing however that he did not consider communism a relevant foe: "once I'll see some intelligent Romanians taking up communism, that's when I'll begin fearing t But up until then, given that it's only about foreigners and unintelligent Romanians, I have no such fear". The PND was nonetheless alarmed when, during the by-elections of
Hunedoara County Hunedoara County () is a county ('' județ'') of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva. The county is part of the Danube–Criș–Mureș–Tisa Euroregion. Name In Hungarian, it is known as , in German as , and in Slovak ...
,
Ghiță Pop Ghiță is a Romanian diminutive of Gheorghe, and may refer to: * Ghiţă Licu *Ghiță Moscu * Ghiță Mureșan It is also a surname: *Daniel Ghiță Daniel Florin Ghiță (, born 22 April 1981) is a Romanian politician and former kickboxer, ...
of the PNȚ campaigned with support from the
Jiu Valley The Jiu Valley ( ro, Valea Jiului ) is a region in southwestern Transylvania, Romania, in Hunedoara county, situated in a valley of the Jiu River between the Retezat Mountains and the Parâng Mountains. The region was heavily industrialised and t ...
communist cell. Iorga's support for the monarchy and his ostensible legalism were complemented by a strong stance against
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, generally advocating a pro-French system of alliances between anti-German "small states", resting on the
Little Entente The Little Entente was an alliance formed in 1920 and 1921 by Czechoslovakia, Romania and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (since 1929 Yugoslavia) with the purpose of common defense against Hungarian revanchism and the prospect of a Ha ...
. He watched with revulsion as the Iron Guard organized a heroes' funeral for its volunteers in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
, and intervened to pressure Tătărescu into banning and disarming the movement. Nonetheless, the PND approached the
National Christian Party The National Christian Party ( ro, Partidul Național Creștin) was a radical-right authoritarian and strongly antisemitic political party in Romania active between 1935 and 1938. It was formed by a merger of Octavian Goga's National Agrarian Pa ...
(PNC), a successor of the LANC. By 1937, Cuza and Iorga were on amiable terms, the latter referring to the former as "a great elder of this nation", and being in turn celebrated by the PNC as Romania's "greatest speaker".


1937 election and 1938 dissolution

In November 1937, Averescu, who was informed that Carol plotted to dissolve all political groups and establish a personal dictatorship, proposed forming a
national unity government A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other nat ...
under Gheorghe Brătianu. The option failed to enlist crucial support from the PNC, who wanted a "government of generals and magistrates", with
Octavian Goga Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. Life and politics Goga was born in Rășinari, near Sibiu. Goga was an active member in the Romanian nationalisti ...
as its president. That same month, some PND members, including Topa, became junior members of Tătărescu's "enlarged cabinet", which existed for the purpose of overseeing new elections in December. Like the PNC, the Romanian Front, and the PP, it ran on a common list headed by the PNL. Also joining this pact by proxy was the Nazi-influenced German Party, which had an understanding with Vaida. In his private records, Iorga observed that Romania was undergoing a "movement to the right", with campaigning monopolized by the Iron Guard and the PNC. Behind the scenes, the PNC, the PND and the Iron Guard were still discussing a common approach—during the electoral campaign, Iorga, Cuza, Gheorghe Cantacuzino-Grănicerul, and other leaders of minor parties (including Filipescu, Argetoianu, and
Grigore Iunian Grigore Iunian (September 30, 1882 – 1939) was a Romanian left-wing politician and lawyer. A member of the National Liberal Party (PNL) during the 1910s, he rallied with the Peasants' Party (PȚ) after World War I, and followed it into the ...
), met secretly at Dalles Hall. During the proceedings, Cuza insisted for a cabinet that would include all those present as ministers. The election results were a tie: although the PNL-led alliance won a plurality (36%) of the vote, it could not form a government against the PNȚ and the Iron Guard; the latter two were also short of decisive seats in the Assembly. On December 28, the king used his prerogative and assigned power to the PNC, which had 9.15% of the vote, and the premiership to Goga. For the next 44 days, the country experienced chaos: the Guard paramilitaries and the PNC's ''
Lăncieri The ''Lăncieri'' ("Lancers", ) were a Romanian fascist paramilitary movement initially attached to the National-Christian Defense League, and following the merger on 16 July 1935 of the NCDL and the National Agrarian Party to form the National C ...
'' clashed in the streets, and took turns attacking Jewish-owned businesses. During its weeks in government, the PNC modified the electoral law, hoping to absorb smaller parties into its ranks, and began negotiating with Iorga a fusion with the PND. Pressured by the king, Iorga accepted to form a PNC–PND electoral coalition, which also gathered support from the German Party. This arrangement did not prevent Iorga from demanding a return to constitutional norms, including by forming a national unity government and overturning Goga's laws. In February 1938, Carol ordered Goga to step down, replacing him with
Miron Cristea Miron Cristea (; monastic name of Elie Cristea ; 20 July 1868 – 6 March 1939) was a Romanian cleric and politician. A bishop in Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, Cristea was elected Metropolitan-Primate of the Orthodox Church of the newly unifi ...
, the apolitical Orthodox Patriarch; he made Iorga, Averescu, Tătărescu and Vaida members of a government steering committee, ordering them to quit their parties. Following this, Carol established his
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front ( ro, Frontul Renașterii Naționale, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romani ...
(FRN) and proclaimed an authoritarian constitution—Iorga accepted the demise of the PND, and played a part in the decision to outlaw all the other parties. He also helped shape a new set of
racial laws Anti-Jewish laws have been a common occurrence throughout Jewish history. Examples of such laws include special Jewish quotas, Jewish taxes and Disabilities (Jewish), Jewish "disabilities". Some were adopted in the 1930s and 1940s in Nazi Germany ...
, more liberal than those enforced by the PNC; these new regulations barred those who had not been Romanians for "at least three generations" from holding public office—allegedly targeting the Codreanus. Remnants of the PND still organized as an "intermediary group", or distinct FRN faction, during the sham elections of June 1939, although the authorities sought to prevent their interference with the electoral process. Topa, Ionescu-Sisești, and Pompeiu were also appointed to high ceremonial office under the FRN rule. Iorga remained a full member of Carol's Crown Council, in which capacity he played an instrumental part in repressing the Guard, by instigating Corneliu Codreanu's arrest (and, indirectly, his killing in custody). Two years later, as the FRN regime collapsed and was replaced by a Guard government, or "
National Legionary State The National Legionary State was a totalitarian fascist regime which governed Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led by General Ion Antonescu in partnership with the ...
", Iorga was sought after and murdered as revenge.


1940s revival and aftermath

For the remainder of World War II and the Nazi-aligned Ion Antonescu dictatorship, Topa led efforts to reestablish the PND. In 1942, Vlădescu-Răcoasa founded the Union of Patriots (UP), a pro- Allied resistance group, and was swiftly arrested by the Antonescu regime, then sentenced to life in prison. From early 1944, Topa was also drawn into such opposition projects. Styled "Social Democratic Party–Topa", to distinguish itself from the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR), the PND signed up to an underground "National-Democratic Coalition". Inaugurated by the
National Liberal Party–Tătărescu The National Liberal Party–Tătărescu ( ro, Partidul Național Liberal-Tătărescu, PNL-Tătărescu) was a liberal and social liberal political party in the Kingdom of Romania and then in the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was established ...
(PNL-T), it also comprised the UP, the
Ploughmen's Front The Ploughmen's Front ( ro, Frontul Plugarilor) was a Romanian left-wing agrarian-inspired political organisation of ploughmen, founded at Deva in 1933 and led by Petru Groza. At its peak in 1946, the Front had over 1 million members. Histor ...
, the
Socialist Peasants' Party The Socialist Peasants' Party (Romanian language, Romanian: ''Partidul Socialist Țărănesc'', or ''Partidul Socialist Țărănist'', PSȚ) was a short-lived political party in Romania, presided over by the academic Mihai Ralea. Created nominally ...
, MADOSZ, and the PSDR itself. Speaking for the group,
Mihai Ralea Mihai Dumitru Ralea (also known as Mihail Ralea, Michel Raléa, or Mihai Rale;Straje, p. 586 May 1, 1896 – August 17, 1964) was a Romanian social scientist, cultural journalist, and political figure. He debuted as an affiliate of Poporanism, th ...
defined its constituent parties as "on the left". A report circulated by the
Siguranța Siguranța was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety ( ro, Di ...
explained these as "radical-democratic groups", in opposition to "right-wing democrats" from the mainstream PNȚ and PNL. In August 1944, a coalition formed by King
Michael I Michael I may refer to: * Pope Michael I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 743–767 * Michael I Rhangabes, Byzantine Emperor (died in 844) * Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch Michael I of Constantin ...
, the PNȚ, PNL, and the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) organized the coup against Antonescu. This took Romania out of the
Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
and reestablished a liberal system of government, but one increasingly controlled by the PCR. Released from prison, Vlădescu-Răcoasa transformed the UP into a political party, closely aligned with the PCR, and participated in government as a delegate of the communist-led National Democratic Front. Pompeiu was also co-opted into the communist establishment, and appointed to high offices in the academic world. At the time, the communized Siguranța followed closely the PND's activities. Its agents claimed that the PND was turning into a dissident "workers' party", absorbing into it a "reactionary socialist" faction under
Ioan Flueraș Ioan (or Ion) Flueraș (or Fluieraș) (November 2, 1882 – June 7, 1953) was a Romanian social democratic politician and a victim of the communist regime. Biography Early activities Born in Chereluș (Kerülős), Arad County, in the Crișan ...
. It reported that the two party presidents were Munteanu-Râmnic and Pompeiu. Later records show that Flueraș's "socialist democratic party" was still independent from the PND. The latter, still led by Topa, existed in close proximity to Tătărescu's liberalism. It ultimately merged into the PNL-T shortly before the 1946 Romanian general election, 1946 election, with Topa returning as its representative in the Assembly.Totok, p. 14 The following year, a former PND cadre, dentist Petre Rădiță, became an ally of the communists. A Romani people in Romania, Romani by ethnicity, Rădiță helped government seize control of the Romanies' General Union. Some of the PND members were targeted by repression following the establishment of a Communist Romania, Romanian people's republic in late 1947.
Gheorghe Cotenescu Gheorghe is a Romanian given name and surname. It is a variant of George, also a name in Romanian but with soft Gs. It may refer to: Given name * Gheorghe Adamescu * Gheorghe Albu * Gheorghe Alexandrescu * Gheorghe Andriev * Gheorghe Apostol ...
became an active supporter of the Romanian anti-communist resistance movement, anticommunist resistance, and was imprisoned by the regime after 1949. Topa was also arrested, in May 1951, part of a group charged (spuriously) with "spying for Holy See, the Vatican". He was dispatched to the "labor colony" of Peninsula, on the Danube–Black Sea Canal, serving as its prison doctor. Topa died in captivity in 1957, as did his one-time party colleague Tașcă. Ionescu-Sisești was stripped of his position in the Romanian Academy in 1948, but allowed back in in 1955.


Ideology


Generic traits

Contemporary analysts, from Dimitrie Drăghicescu to Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, have described the PND as a highly personalized group, with Iorga at its center, and one largely incapable of organizing itself into a mass party. Historian Lucian T. Butaru argues that, in the 1910s, the PND had a "hybrid doctrine", "a symptom of political gaming in that twilight era of the census suffrage." During the early interwar, Drăghicescu suggested that the party's program, "for it has one", did not differentiate the PND from other conservative forces, in particular the
Romanian National Party The Romanian National Party ( ro, Partidul Național Român, PNR), initially known as the Romanian National Party in Transylvania and Banat (), was a political party which was initially designed to offer ethnic representation to Romanians in the ...
, on whose electorate it relied. Historian Petre Țurlea also suggests that: "The position of the Democratic Nationalist Party on all matters that relate to Romanian society is entirely identifiable with that of its founder [Iorga]." More generally, Iorga's movement revamped the old tenets of Iorga's ''Sămănătorul'' circle, bridging romantic aesthetics and a doctrine variously called "illiberal nationalism", "heterodox conservatism", or "right-wing populism". As such, it formed part of a larger anti-liberal phenomenon of early 20th-century politics. Academic Ioan Stanomir sees the PND as a symptom of "continental neoconservatism", largely shaped by international populism and, locally, by the 19th-century poet-ideologue Mihai Eminescu. According to Veiga, Iorga's movement functions as both a concrete revival of Eminescu's tenets and a Romanian counterpart to Second Republic of Poland, Poland's ''National Democracy (Poland), Endecja''. In a larger European context, the PND press also revered the ''Action Française'' and the History of far-right movements in France, French reactionary right. Functionally, PND doctrines represented "the rejection of urban-industrial society by the petty and middle bourgeoisie". As claimed by the communist
Petre Constantinescu-Iași Petre Constantinescu-Iași (25 November 1892 – 1 December 1977) was a Romanian historian, academic and communist politician. Biography Early life and education Petre Constantinescu was born in the city of Iași, in a modest family of teache ...
, the PND was not just averse to the upper class and industrialization, but "threatened" by it, since its constituents "live[d] under the same exploitative conditions as the urban proletariat ..overwhelmed by the capitalist class." From the conservative club ''Junimea'', Iorga borrowed, reshaped, and radicalized the old critique of state-enforced Westernization, integrating it into the nationalist agenda. Early on, Iorga and Cuza both had designs of education reform which doubled as critiques of positivism; Cuza's proposal was "overtly xenophobic and anti-Semitic." According to historian Maria Bucur, the PND failed to win over the Transylvanian middle classes; its "bombastic impassioned speeches about historical precedence and unjust past suffering", she notes, were less appealing than the modernizing promise of liberal eugenics.


Fluctuating antisemitism

The PND is remembered as one of the first Romanian parties to be formed around a platform of explicit antisemitism. As noted by Veiga, Cuza's anti-Jewish narrative, both within and without the PND, was "obsessive and firebrand", with hints of racial antisemitism; however, it did not discriminate against Jewish women, and was always more secular than that of his LANC colleagues. Iorga was generally more reserved, beginning his career as a skeptic of Jewish assimilation on producerist grounds, somewhat influenced by Karl Lueger. In the 1920s, as scholar Leon Volovici informs, Iorga became "conciliatory" on the Jewish issues, and was "anxious to minimize" his earlier alliance with Cuza. Through
Nicolae Paulescu Nicolae Constantin Paulescu (; 30 October 1869 (O.S.) – 17 July 1931) was a Romanian physiologist, professor of medicine, and politician, most famous for his work on diabetes, including patenting ''pancreine'' (a pancreatic extract containing ...
, the LANC viewed the PND's leader as "kike-turned", accusing him of having endorsed Jewish businesses, and, with them, alcoholism. Cuza also accused Iorga of changing his "regimen" by giving in to Jewish temptations. In 1931, the Alliance Israélite Universelle noted the Iron Guard's admiration for Iorga, but also that the latter "openly rejects antisemitic formulas and methods". With noted reluctance, Iorga finally accepted
Jewish emancipation Jewish emancipation was the process in various nations in Europe of eliminating Jewish disabilities, e.g. Jewish quotas, to which European Jews were then subject, and the recognition of Jews as entitled to equality and citizenship rights. It in ...
. Especially during the 1923 riots, he denounced the LANC's policy of imposing Jewish quotas as absurd. The 1920s saw him maintaining amiable links with Jewish intellectuals, in particular Aristide Blank. According to Butaru, his "more complex" nationalism only gave "sporadic" support to the racist far-right, mainly because the latter was also nationalist and monarchist. The PND's episodic government saw the formation of a parliamentarian Jewish Party (Romania), Jewish Party, which accused Iorga and his ministers of not taking any action against antisemitism; however, Iorga's "National Union" still won endorsements from the apolitical
Union of Romanian Jews The Union of Romanian Jews ( ro, Uniunea Evreilor Români, ''UER'') was a political organisation active in Romania in the first half of the 20th century. The UER targeted all Romanian Jews who had obtained citizenship and accepted its programme of ...
. Iorga argued that the Jews were not Romania's "natural enemy" and were capable of cooperating with "the legitimate masters of the land", stating that he preferred allying himself to Jews over signing any pact with Nazis. In 1937, Tudor Arghezi published an electoral manifesto attributed to the PND and dated to 1930–1932—written in Yiddish and addressed to the Jews, but kept secret from Christian voters, it appealed to patriotism as a shared value of both communities. In the late 1930s, the PND was again committed to economic antisemitism, theorizing that Romania was being invaded by the "Judaic spirit" and a "Hebrew network of exploitation". Nonetheless, Iorga urged his followers to display "no hatred toward the Jews. Only support and love for the Christian tradesman." Such speeches divided Romanian public opinion: the LANC and the Iron Guard celebrated his return to the fold, whereas moderates noted Iorga's overall reserve, and his positive appraisal of ancient Jewish culture. The latter opinion is also held by Țurlea, who notes: "[Iorga] was neither an antisemite, nor a philosemite; he was a defender of his People, while maintaining the conditional of equal rights for all of the Country's citizens." Shortly before World War II, Iorga openly criticized the PNC's antisemitic program, which he viewed as anti-constitutional, but made occasional returns to explicit antisemitism—such as when he signed up to editorials calling for the "delousing" of Romania. Overestimating the Jews' numbers and influence, he stated that his main goal was waging an economic "war" though industriousness and boycotts, but also through a "sensibly organized" expulsion of some Jews. Topa also entertained such ideas, publishing in ''Buna Vestire'' a call for the Romanianization of the medical corps. The PND press was deeply involved, alongside far-right newspapers, in campaigns against literary modernism in general, and Jewish modernist writers in particular, calling for censorship and repression of "pornography". Himself a modernist, Arghezi noted that Iorga had changed his beliefs on the issue "6 times every 24 hours", a man with "two heads that ram into each other".


Corporate state

As Veiga notes, Iorga's political ideals always referred to recovering an ancient "model of ''Volksgemeinschaft''—real or fictitious", and an idealization of supposed "peasant republics" from Romania's distant past, party-less and non-bureaucratic. His advocacy took the form of regionalism, though one not necessarily tied to the historical borders. In 1919, while openly denouncing separatism, Iorga advocated the restoration of Greater Moldova, Greater Moldavia as an autonomous entity to include both Bukovina and Bessarabia, and with the unprecedented annexation of borderlands in
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. By 1934, he was proposing a restoration of ancestral links with the creation of ''ținuturi'' ("lands"), which were to cut across regionalist and ethnic interests. Under his plan, Făgăraș County, Făgăraș would have been united with Argeș County, Argeș, and Hotin County, Hotin with Cernăuți County, Cernăuți. As Heinen notes, the overall nationalist message of class collaboration and organicism clashed with the party's "social pledge". Thus, the PND switched between the promise of universal suffrage and land reform, and proposals to bring back the estates of the realm. During the 1910s, reflecting Cuza's background in right-wing socialism, the PND issued calls for social insurance, but limited these to Romanian workers. In 1911, Dumitru C. Moruzi described social democracy as a civilized alternative to Russian nihilism. The hierarchy of PND political dimensions was outlined by Iorga himself: "we are first of all nationalists, then democrats, then peasantists. ..There is nothing we place above the nation, not even social justice." His promise in December 1915 was to create a "national and popular state, grouping together, with equal rights, Romanians of all classes and Romanians from all countries." During its existence as "National Party", the PND switched its priorities, and became openly Anti-democratic thought, anti-democratic. By the time of Carol's return to the throne, it was closely aligned with the Vlad Țepeș League and the ''Cuvântul'' group in their denunciation of the parliamentary system. Iorga talked of a "moral reform", and of "creating a new soul for the Romanian people." The PND–LVȚ alliance in favor of
technocracy Technocracy is a form of government in which the decision-maker or makers are selected based on their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge. This system explicitly contrasts wi ...
managed to shake, then topple, the PNȚ coalition in 1931. According to Veiga, the Iorga cabinet was a "battering ram", the first of several used by Carol against parliamentary power. Contrarily, Stanomir writes that Iorga's ideology was primarily a conservatism à la Edmund Burke, its "tribulations" merely "a symptom of the difficulties that the local conservative movement underwent in its adaptation." In 1934, Iorga described the PND as "perfect constitutionalists", opposed to dictatorial experimentation, although he expressed support for creating a permanent, non-elected, legislative council. He also favored
corporatism Corporatism is a collectivist political ideology which advocates the organization of society by corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, on the basis of their common interests. The ...
as a governing principle, but noted that the state needed to be kept out of it. In its penultimate phase, the party veered into explicit support for corporate statism, as the basis for a legal dictatorship. Iorga's support for left-wing causes weakened just as his rejection of the Iron Guard became explicit: he rejected socialist humanitarianism, and the legacy of Enlightenment philosophy, seeing them as a subterfuge for left-wing totalitarianism. He maintained a friendship with Italy during his term as Prime Minister, earning backing from most other political groups—since, at the time, Italy was averse to Nazi Germany; on a more personal level, Iorga looked upon Italian fascism with noted sympathy. This was reciprocated by the Italians, who offered Iorga a position on the steering committee of their Comitati d'azione per l'universalità di Roma, Action Committee for Roman Universality. Observing the political realignments of 1937, Iorga mused that "shackled parties" were becoming "a thing of the past" (a probable reference to the waning ideological coherence of his own PND). He revered the corporative monarchy as a return to the "idealized, organic, and hierarchical world", and, in his final years, suggested that the proper economic and social model revolved around artisans and their guilds. When confronted with Carol's own modernizing-totalitarian ambitions, Iorga stated his preference for an Authoritarian democracy, authoritarian multi-party system, and for long refused to don the
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front ( ro, Frontul Renașterii Naționale, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romani ...
uniform.Boia (2012), pp. 128–129, 134. See also Volovici, pp. 151–155


Electoral history


Legislative elections


Notes


References

{{Authority control Democratic Nationalist Party (Romania), 1910 establishments in Romania 1946 disestablishments in Romania Agrarian parties in Romania Antisemitism in Romania Conservative parties in Romania Corporatism Defunct agrarian political parties Defunct political parties in Romania Monarchist parties in Romania National conservative parties Nationalist parties in Romania Regionalist parties in Romania Political parties disestablished in 1946 Political parties established in 1910 Formerly banned far-right parties