Romania’s leftists set to top polls in parliamentary election, but far-right populists see big gains
Romania’s Social Democratic Party looks set to win the most votes in Sunday’s parliamentary election, electoral data shows, while far-right populists are on track to make significant gains in the country’s legislature
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania’s Social Democratic Party looked set to win the most votes in Sunday’s parliamentary election, incomplete data showed, while far-right populists were on track to make significant gains in the country’s legislature. The voting suggested widespread anti-establishment sentiment in the European Union and NATO member country.
With about 85% of the votes counted, incomplete electoral data showed the leftist PSD leading the polls with about 23.9%, while the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, was in second place with about 17.8%. The center-right National Liberal Party, or PNL, stood at about 14.5% and the reformist Save Romania Union party, the USR, was at 10.9%.
The legislative vote came a week after the first round of a presidential race that saw a controversial far-right populist who was polling in single digits win the most votes, which has since plunged the country into political turmoil. Calin Georgescu, 62, is due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the USR in a Dec. 8 runoff.
Despite only being formed last year, the little-known right-wing populist Party of Young People — which has backed Georgescu for the presidency — appeared on track to pass the 5% threshold to enter parliament, as did the far-right nationalist S.O.S. Romania party. However, some diaspora votes were still being counted and could alter the outcome.
