Romanians take part in parliamentary elections as far-right hopes to make gains | News

The parliamentary elections come a week after a right-wing candidate won the most votes in the first round of the presidential election.

Romanians are taking part in a parliamentary election, a week after right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu emerged top in the first round of presidential elections.

Sunday’s vote will elect a new government and prime minister and determine the formation of the country’s legislature, consisting of the 323-seat lower house and the 133-seat Senate. Romanians will elect representatives for both chambers on Sunday. Anyone abroad has been able to vote since Saturday.

The governing coalition of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) is competing to assert itself against the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR).

The PSD and PNL, which formed an unusual coalition in 2021, dominated post-communist politics in Romania – a member of the European Union and NATO.

Georgescu, a former member of the AUR and its prime minister before leaving in 2022, ran as an independent in the November 24 election, challenging established mainstream parties. In the first round of the presidential election he received 23 percent of the vote.

His unexpected victory last Sunday raised suspicions of interference in the election campaign, triggered a recount of votes and led to a losing candidate asking the country’s highest court for a repeat of the first round of voting.

The confusion means parliamentary elections are taking place and voters are uncertain whether the presidential election result will stand in the first round. They also do not know whether the presidential election scheduled for December 8th between Georgescu and the centrist Elena Lasconi of the Union Party “Save Romania” (USR) will take place or take place at a later date.

The Constitutional Court examined the situation on Friday, but decided to postpone the decision to cancel the first round until Monday.

While the role of the president in Romania has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security and foreign policy, the prime minister is the country’s head of government.

Many observers believe the presidential outcome signals a significant shift from Romania’s mainstream parties to more populist anti-establishment parties, whose voices have found fertile ground amid high inflation, a high cost of living and a sluggish economy.