Democratic Party (Romania)

The Democratic Party (Romanian: Partidul Democrat, PD; also known as Partidul Democrat-Frontul Salvării Naționale or PD-FSN for short) was a social democratic and, later on, liberal conservativepolitical party in Romania. In January 2008, it merged with the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), a splinter group of the National Liberal Party (PNL), to form the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL).

From 1996 to 2005, the party was a member of the Socialist International (SI). Its official name was Democratic Party - National Salvation Front until 2000, when it officially shortened its name only to the Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the PD was the junior member of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), although according to many Romanian opinion polls of the time, it remained the most popular of the two parties. Although it had to formally suspend his leadership to the party when elected president in 2004, the PD was largely associated with former Romanian president Traian Băsescu.