BUCHAREST: Romanians went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament in a move that signaled a far-right gain of ground, possibly in the foreign policy of the NATO country bordering Ukraine. It was a sign of change.
The parliamentary vote comes at a time when political turmoil erupted after the Supreme Court ordered a recount of the first phase of the November 24 presidential election.
The first-round presidential ballot was won by Kalin Georgescu, a far-right admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A run-off is scheduled for December 8.
Despite allegations of Russian influence and alleged meddling by TikTok, Sunday’s parliamentary elections went ahead as planned.
Polling stations will open at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) and close at 9:00 pm, with an exit poll to be published soon after. The first official results are expected later this evening.
Many voters, such as Dorina Borcia, who works in marketing, expressed concern that Romania might deviate from its European path.
“As someone who lived a bit under communism and still remembers — and at the same time can enjoy the openness of the EU, being able to go to other countries — – I can’t imagine how we can be another option compared to the EU and NATO,” the 41-year-old told AFP.
Voter turnout at 1530 GMT was over 44 percent, higher than in previous parliamentary elections, according to the country’s electoral authority.
Romania’s political landscape has been shaped by two major parties for the past three decades. But analysts predict that Sunday’s vote will result in a fragmented parliament, affecting the chances of forming a future government.
Several far-right parties — which oppose sending aid to Ukraine — are predicted to claim a combined share of more than 30 percent of the vote, polls show.
The country of 19 million people has so far resisted rising nationalism in the region.
But experts say it now faces an unprecedented situation since the fall of communism in 1989, as anger over soaring inflation and fears of Russia being dragged into the war in neighboring Ukraine have grown.
George Soren, a 45-year-old economist in Bucharest, told AFP he hoped the far-right would do well.
He said he believed the outgoing parliament had served Ukraine’s interests by sending too much aid and had prioritized the EU over “national interests”.
Among the far-right parties is the AUR, which is leading in the latest polls and whose leader, George Simon, won about 14 percent of the presidential vote.
There is also the far-right SOS Romania party led by the firebrand Diana Sosuca, and the recently formed Party of Young People (POT), which could reach the five percent threshold to enter parliament. .
In the anti-EU camp, the centrist USSR hopes its leader Elena Lasconi will do well after coming second in the presidential vote.
The governing Social Democrats (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) suffered major defeats in last week’s presidential election.
Outgoing Prime Minister Marcel Ciulako said after the vote that Sunday’s parliamentary vote was a choice “between stability and chaos”.
Outgoing pro-EU President Klaus Iohannis said the vote was “crucial” and would determine Romania’s future — whether it would “remain a country of freedom and openness or fall into toxic isolation and a dark past.” .
Parliamentary elections come at a critical time, with the Supreme Court’s order to recount the first round of presidential election ballots last week causing widespread confusion.
After casting his vote in the city of Foscani, AUR leader Simone alleged that some people were “trying to repeat the (presidential) elections to get the results they want”.
“Last Sunday, the Romanian people spoke,” he said, insisting that the outcome of the presidential vote must be respected.
According to Septimius Parvu of the Expert Forum think tank, the recount order by the Romanian Constitutional Court had “many negative effects”, including undermining trust in Romanian institutions.
“We have already recounted votes in the past in Romania but not millions of votes, there are parliamentary elections in between,” Provo said.
He further said that the decision of the Supreme Court is likely to strengthen the extreme right wing.
“Any decision made during this critical period should not limit the right of the Romanian people to vote freely or further jeopardize the credibility of the electoral process,” the US Embassy in Romania said.