Parliamentary election: Intermediate results: Left in Romania in the lead – ultra-right strong

In the parliamentary elections in Romania, the ultra-right made significant gains after most polling stations were counted, but the Social Democrats (PSD) remained the strongest force. After the votes were counted in a good 97 percent of polling stations, the PSD came to around 23 percent (2020: 29 percent), as the central electoral authority in Bucharest announced. The extreme right-wing AUR party therefore achieved around 18 percent (around 9 percent). According to the interim results, five other parties have made it into parliament. Difficult coalition negotiations are expected in the next few days. It is impossible to predict which alliances could come into question.

According to observers, the result of the parliamentary election is also likely to have an impact on a possible runoff election for the office of president. According to observers, the chances of the right-wing extremist and pro-Kremlin presidential candidate Calin Georgescu against the Western-oriented presidential candidate Elena Lasconi would increase if the interim result is confirmed after all votes have been counted. The Constitutional Court in Bucharest will decide today whether and when this runoff election will take place, as the first round of elections on November 24th was contested.

Last week, the Constitutional Court ordered a recount of all ballot papers in the first round of the presidential election after a losing candidate challenged them. After presenting the new counting results, the court will decide whether to recognize or annul the first round of voting.

According to the interim results, the bourgeois party PNL came third with around 14 percent of the vote, followed by the conservative-liberal reform party USR with almost 12 percent. The Hungarian party UDMR comes in fifth place with around 7 percent. Two new extreme right-wing parties have also made it into parliament: SOS Romania with around 7 percent and POT with almost 6 percent. They are even further to the right than AUR. All western-oriented parties have ruled out a coalition with AUR.

Three ultra-right parties – probably united for Georgescu

Observers assume that the success of Kremlin friend Georgescu in the first round of the presidential election has strengthened his like-minded people in parliament. Georgescu could now benefit from this effect – even though the three ultra-right parties are competing with each other. The extremist came first in the first round of voting, Lasconi came second.

Official projections, Central Electoral Authority, Romanian