The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a centristpolitical party representing the interests of the German minority in Romania. The forum was founded at the end of 1989, in the wake of the Romanian Revolution. Despite originally being a Germanminority party, it gradually grew quite popular amongst many ethnic Romanians, especially in parts of Transylvania and Banat, including, most notably, the major city ofSibiu, where the party still holds a majority in the local city 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 as well, yet mostly without elected representatives in the regional politics. In terms of reputation, the party is regarded as independent, whilst its politicians, including former Sibiu mayor, former party leader, and current President of Romania, Klaus Johannis, have earned respect as thorough administrators. The FDGR/DFDR has often cooperated with the National Liberals, to which Johannis 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 PNȚ-CD. In recent years, the main headquarters of FDGR/DFDR in Sibiu organised several foreign receptions of high ranking German officials, among which most notably chancellor Angela Merkel or president Joachim Gauck.
Overview and organization
The history of the German minority in Romania, and more specifically, their presence in the historical region of Transylvania, spans approximately a millennium. Under the blanket term 'Romanian Germans' a wide variety of different regional German-speaking groups are included as follows:
Since the year 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 National Liberals and Social Democrats. The FDGR/DFDR has also had mayors in office since 2004 in the cities of Mediaş 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, the Social Democratic Partyfalsely accused the forum of being the legal continuator of the German Ethnic Group concerning alleged dubious retrocessions of several buildings from Sibiu/Hermannstadt 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 is a distinct platform which has nothing to do with the latter, consequently not inheriting anything from it.
Presidents
1990–1992: :ro:Thomas Nägler|Thomas Nägler
1992–1998: :ro:Paul Philippi|Paul Philippi
1998–2001: :ro:Eberhard Wolfgang Wittstock|Eberhard Wolfgang Wittstock
