Restoration of the Monarchy in Romania

[CSENYC]

First, how popular was King Michael when he actually reigned?

Second, I don't understand those polls. King Michael has 36% in favor, and the President has 8% or so. Why doesn't anyone have above 50% in favor? If a US president has below 50%, it's usually a problem for his re-election chances. (When the approval ratings of all of the people in those polls are added up, the total is over 100%, so I just don't follow.)

[Cory]

King Mihai I was hugely popular during his reign.Now he is the most popular public figure in Romania. In December he had only 27% and now he has 36%.
HRH Crown Princess Margareta has 25 % popularity.
The return of Monarchy could be very soon.

[monarhiero]

Rally in University Square, Bucharest:

Monarhia salveaz

@Cory: Do you think pro-monarchy rallies will be attended by more people now?

[Cory]

In Cluj there were quite a lot of persons asking for the return of the Monarchy. These days in Romania is very cold and that's why not so many people are in the streets.Al the important newspapers and televisions speak about the possible return of Monarchy.

[Benjamin]

Political discontent in Romania reaches new highs
1 Feb 2012

Latest polls show that President Basescu and Prime Minister Boc would only win 8 and 7 percent of voters' support to finish fifth and sixth respectively in an early election, while ultranationalist MEP Corneliu Vadim Tudor would come in fourth.

The two co-chairs of the USL, Victor Ponta (PSD) and Crin Antonescu (PNL), would fare much better, capturing 25 and 22 percent of votes. But the real winner would be Romania's king, Michael I. The 90-year-old has an estimated approval rating of 37 percent -a clear snub to the nation's political establishment.

For many Romanians, the former monarch is the leader most capable of uniting the nation struggling to move forward, even 22 years after the bloody overthrow of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

They see the post-Communist political class as not only corrupt, but also as incapable of resolving the nation's economic and social problems.

Political commentators have already started asking whether a constitutional monarchy - such as the British and Swedish systems - might serve Romania better than the current parliamentary-presidential hybrid republic.

Full article: Deutsche Welle

[Benjamin]

Royal Musings: The situation in Romania

Monarchy. If not us, who? If not now, when?

[Benjamin]

Protests calling for the restoration of King Michael

Regele Mihai! - YouTube

Mesajul Regelui Mihai catre protestatarii din Pia

Bucure

Solidari cu protestatarii români - YouTube

Proteste Timisoara ianuarie 2012 - Restaurarea monarhiei - YouTube

S-au saturat de democratie. 24.01.2012 - YouTube

Piata Universitatii - sustin monarhia - YouTube

[MarleneKoenig]

Dominic and two of his sisters own Bran. He and his wife and Maria Magdalene and her husband were in Bucharest for the celebrations in October. Ileana's descendants do not have dynastic rights to the Romanian throne.

Originally Posted by Cory

Everybody knows Archduke Dominic (together with his sisters) owns Bran Castle.This doesn't mean he is very interested in restoration of Monarchy in Romania.

[MarleneKoenig]

As Michael singehandedly overthrew the Fascist regime, he was very popular during the war. Unfortunately, bringing Romania into the Allied sphere meant closer to the Soviet Union ... the Soviet-trained Romanian communists had to tread carefully when they forced Michael out because they knew he was loved.

Originally Posted by CSENYC

First, how popular was King Michael when he actually reigned?

Second, I don't understand those polls. King Michael has 36% in favor, and the President has 8% or so. Why doesn't anyone have above 50% in favor? If a US president has below 50%, it's usually a problem for his re-election chances. (When the approval ratings of all of the people in those polls are added up, the total is over 100%, so I just don't follow.)

[CSENYC]

I was intrigued by King Michael's popularity and posted a similar poll online, for Americans. Results:

Which leader is your favorite? (Question was to vote for the person you'd like for a US head of state, as a figurehead, and considering that the British royal family is the US's "unofficial" royal family.) Royalty won in it, too.

Barack Obama 23.8%
Newt Gingrich 0.0%
Nancy Pelosi 4.8%
John Boehner 9.5%
Queen Elizabeth II 23.8%
Prince William 14.3%
Princess Kate 23.8%

[Cory]

Obviously the popularity of HM King Mihai I is a sign of the return of the Monarchy in the near future.

[NGalitzine]

Originally Posted by Cory

Obviously the popularity of HM King Mihai I is a sign of the return of the Monarchy in the near future.

Or perhaps just a sign of discontent with the current political leadership and the countrys economic situation.
Given the kings age things would have to change quite quickly, and peacefully, for him to be restored and allow time for calm to be restored before the succession of his daughter which would likely not be too far off.

[Benjamin]

Alteta Sa Regala Principele Radu al Romaniei - The King, the most powerful man

[Benjamin]

An online group calling for the return of the monarchy has so far attracted 27,500 supporters.

The organization wants a referendum in 2014 (the end of the second term of President Basescu) in order to give the Romanian people the choice between retaining the republic or moving forward with a constitutional monarchy.

REFERENDUM NATIONAL PT. TRANSFORMAREA ROMANIEI IN REGAT - ROMANIA MONARHIE CONSTITUTIONALA | causes.com

Meanwhile, a recent poll found that over 80% of respondents were in favor of a possible restoration of the monarchy.

Sondaj — ACUM.TV

[fearghas]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

Or perhaps just a sign of discontent with the current political leadership and the countrys economic situation.
Given the kings age things would have to change quite quickly, and peacefully, for him to be restored and allow time for calm to be restored before the succession of his daughter which would likely not be too far off.

Unfortunately I think that you are right. I hope that it will happen but it needs to be soon.

[CSENYC]

Why don't the Royal Family's friends in government just use this situation to push for some type of official recognition and official role for the Royal Family, but not more?

It seems difficult for any major change in a country's system of government to be adopted. Plus a referendum in 2014 would be when King Michael is 92, and who knows where the political winds will be blowing that year.

Isn't an arrangement like Montenegro's royal family got a satisfactory solution, and probably more likely to be adopted? Give King Michael (and his heirs) ownership of all of the royal palaces, give him (and his successors) a good salary, give him (and his successors) an honorary title of "King", give him (and his successors) a job of being an official representative of the government, charged with promoting Romanian unity at home and its interests abroad, etc. Isn't that enough?

[Benjamin]

Unfortunately, the present government is not exactly populated with friends of the Royal Family. If I recall correctly, no members of the government attended the speech the King gave in Parliament on his 90th birthday. So, official recognition, even on the scale that the Petrovic-Njegos received in Montenegro last year, is not terribly likely under the Basescu administration...especially given the President's friendship with the Lambrino couple.

[monarhiero]

CSENYC, what you have described sounds a lot like a constitutional monarch to me...

What Montenegro did was essentially create an alternative de facto head of state, especially since the president and the prince receive the same salary. Thus Montenegro will reach a crossroad possibly in the near future whether such duplication is necessary and which path to take. As it looks like now, it looks like they will choose the prince :)

[NGalitzine]

Originally Posted by monarhiero

CSENYC, what you have described sounds a lot like a constitutional monarch to me...

A constitutional monarch inside a republic if they follow the Montenegrin example.

[CSENYC]

Originally Posted by monarhiero

CSENYC, what you have described sounds a lot like a constitutional monarch to me...

What Montenegro did was essentially create an alternative de facto head of state, especially since the president and the prince receive the same salary. Thus Montenegro will reach a crossroad possibly in the near future whether such duplication is necessary and which path to take. As it looks like now, it looks like they will choose the prince :)

If the current Romanian elected government is hostile to the King, and given the difficulties of getting a referendum passed to change to a constitutional monarchy, I see the Montenegrin option as even tough to get.

I am not aware of any country (perhaps since Norway in 1905 or Greece in the 1930s, and was that a fair election?) that has chosen a monarchy by popular vote, other than in periods of some extreme national crisis or major tumult.

Would I like to see constitutional monarchies restored most everywhere? Yes, and King Michael is a really, really wonderful leader and fine person; if anyone deserves to be restored as head of state, it's him. But the barriers to it happening are just very high, and people need to figure out ways to "restore" the monarchy in the current context.

Then again, who'd have ever thought that King Michael would return to Romania, give a speech in front of Parliament, live in a palace and be Romania's most popular leader?