Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania


The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a political party organised on ethnic criteria representing the interests of the German minority in Romania.
Initially, the FDGR/DFDR was a cultural association representing the culture of the German community in Romania, but it subsequently became a moderately successful local political party, most notably in parts of Transylvania and Banat. Consequently, the counties where the FDGR/DFDR obtained the highest political scores in many local elections after 1989 are Sibiu and Timiș respectively.
WWW fdgr.roFB Landesforum

History (1989–present)

The forum was founded at the end of 1989, in the wake of the Romanian Revolution which culminated with the downfall of Nicolae Ceaușescu's dictatorship. Despite originally being a German minority party, it gradually grew quite popular amongst many ethnic Romanians, especially in parts of Transylvania and Banat, including, most notably, the major town of Sibiu, where the party still holds a majority in the local town council, as well as in the County of Sibiu. Aside from its significant presence in Transylvania and Banat, the FDGR/DFDR is also active in Bukovina, yet without any elected representatives in the local politics, acting instead in the manner of a cultural foundation which periodically organizes a wide range of educational and cultural events.
In terms of reputation, the party is regarded as independent, whilst its politicians, including former Sibiu mayor, former party leader, and former President of Romania, Klaus Johannis, have earned respect as thorough administrators. The FDGR/DFDR has often cooperated with the National Liberals, to which Iohannis became a member and one of its prime leaders starting from February 2013. Additionally, the FDGR/DFDR also has a youth wing known as the German Youth Federation in Romania, currently headed by Adelheid Simon.
At local administration level, most notably in Timișoara or Baia Mare, the FDGR/DFDR has also co-operated with another Romanian centre-right historical party, namely the PNȚCD. For the 2020 Romanian local elections however, the FDGR/DFDR supported Dominic Fritz for the seat of mayor of Timișoara which the latter also won in the first round with 53.24% over former national liberal mayor Nicolae Robu.
In recent years, the main headquarters of FDGR/DFDR in Sibiu organised several foreign receptions of high ranking German officials, among which most notably there were former Christian Democratic Union of Germany leader and former chancellor Angela Merkel and president Joachim Gauck.

Overview and organization

The history of the German minority in Romania, and mostly, their presence in the historical region of Transylvania, spans approximately a millennium back in time. Nevertheless, under the blanket term "Romanian Germans" a wide variety of different regional German-speaking groups are included as follows:
Since 2000, the FDGR/DFDR has won offices on both local and regional levels. In Sibiu, the FDGR/DFDR's Klaus Johannis has held the office of mayor from 2000 to 2014. In 2004, the forum gained 60.43% of votes in local elections for the Municipal Council. In addition, the FDGR/DFDR held 12 out of 23 seats in the Sibiu Municipal Council, forming an absolute majority alongside the PNL.
Following the 2016 local elections in Sibiu County, the FDGR/DFDR won 8 out of 33 seats in the County Council, where it is the third strongest political faction, after the National Liberals and Social Democrats.
The FDGR/DFDR has also had mayors in office since 2004 in the cities of Mediaș and Cisnădie, as well as in a few villages in Satu Mare county. The FDGR/DFDR is an associated member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities and was formerly affiliated with the European People's Party.
Additionally, at local political level, the FDGR/DFDR is organized in five distinct branches as follows: FDGR Banat, FDGR Bucovina, FDGR Transilvania, FDGR Transilvania de Nord, and FDGR Regiunea Extra-carpatică.

Controversies

Both during and after the 2014 presidential campaign of former FDGR/DFDR president Klaus Johannis, who subsequently became president of the National Liberal Party during the autumn of the same year, the Social Democratic Party accused the forum of being the legal continuator of the German Ethnic Group concerning alleged dubious retrocessions of several buildings from Sibiu by Johannis during his terms as mayor to the forum itself. While the German Ethnic group was indeed a fascist organisation during World War II which represented the German minority in Romania between 1940 and 1944, the FDGR/DFDR is a distinct platform which has nothing to do with the latter, formed after 1989 anti-communist revolution and consequently not inheriting anything from it.

Presidents

  • 1990–1992: Thomas Nägler;
  • 1992–1998: Paul Philippi;
  • 1998–2001: Eberhard Wolfgang Wittstock;
  • 2001–2013: Klaus Werner Johannis;
  • 2013–present: Paul-Jürgen Porr.

Chronology of FDGR/DFDR deputies

  • 1990–1992: Ingmar Brandsch;
  • 1992–1996: Eberhard Wolfgang Wittstock;
  • 1996–1997: Werner Horst Brück;
  • 1997–2004: Eberhard Wolfgang Wittstock;
  • 2004–present: Ovidiu Victor Ganț.

Localities with FDGR/DFDR mayors

2016 Romanian local elections

After the 2016 Romanian local elections, the FDGR/DFDR candidates won the following localities :
Furthermore, the FDGR/DFDR also held 91 local councillor seats in 32 communes.

2020 Romanian local elections

After the 2020 Romanian local elections, the FDGR/DFDR candidates won the following localities :
In addition, the party now holds 68 local council seats as well as 5 county council seats in Sibiu County.

2024 Romanian local elections

After the 2024 Romanian local elections, the FDGR/DFDR candidates won the following localities :
In addition, the party now holds 53 local council seats as well as 5 county council seats in Sibiu County.

Notable FDGR/DFDR politicians

Electoral performance

Presidential elections

Notes:
1 Klaus Iohannis was still a member of the FDGR and he was the common centre-right candidate that was endorsed in 2014 by the Christian Liberal Alliance.
2 Klaus Iohannis was endorsed by FDGR and PNL.
3 Crin Antonescu was announced as common PSD, PNL, UDMR and Minorities candidate.