Romania’s pro-Western parties have won the most votes in Sunday’s parliamentary election, but far-right nationalists made significant gains in the legislature. The leftist Social Democratic Party topped the polls, followed by the National Liberal Party and the reformist Save Romania Union party (USR). Two smaller far-right nationalist parties also secured enough votes to enter parliament.
The election reflects widespread anti-establishment sentiment in the EU country, where a presidential runoff between Calin Georgescu, a far-right populist, and Elena Lasconi of the USR is set for December 8. The first round led to allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference.
George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), hailed the results as a “watershed moment” for Romania, saying that a united nation can overcome any obstacle. However, Cristian Andrei, a political consultant, warned that forming a majority government will be challenging due to the fragmented and often hostile parties.
The next government will have to make unpopular decisions on taxes and budget cuts, which could bolster the far-right over the next four years. The success of Georgescu, who campaigned without spending, has triggered protests against his views, which many see as a threat to democracy.
A recount of all 9.4 million votes was requested by the Constitutional Court after allegations of electoral law violations, but the results remain unchanged.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/romania-elections-far-right-parliament-europe-russia-08a89b2ea35ee2dca14a8a17235f8993