The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won Sunday’s legislative elections in Romania with 22.6% of the votes, while the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) came in second place with 18.1% , as confirmed this Monday by the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) after counting 99.4% of the ballots.
In third place was the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), which governed the last four years in coalition with the PSD, with 14.4% of the votes. Fourth is the centrist nationalist Union Save Romania (USR), with 12.1%.
Two minor far-right parties have been able to overcome the 5% threshold to enter Parliament: SOS Romania, with 7.6%, and the Youth Party (POT), with 6.3% of the votes.
On the other hand, the Hungarian minority formation, Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania (UDMR), has obtained 6.5% of the votes and will also be in Parliament.
The results indicate that, contrary to forecasts, ultranationalist and far-right forces have not increased their support enough to fundamentally change the situation in Parliament, despite the fact that the AUR has doubled its support compared to the 2020 results. In this way, the ultranationalist parties, AUR, SOS Romania and POT, account for 32% of the votes.
For their part, the pro-European forces (PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR) have support of 55.5% of the votes, which could control both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate if they reach agreements.
In the first round of the presidential elections a week ago, the pro-Russian ultranationalist Calin Georgescu achieved an unexpected victory, leading analysts to predict a significant rise of the extreme right in Romania.
“The signal sent by Romanians is that we must continue developing the country with European money but, at the same time, protect our identity, our national values and our faith,” Marcel Ciolacu, the current Social Democratic prime minister, said after the elections.
“We have had traitorous governments for a long time. “The corruption and looting of the country have gone unpunished,” said George Simion, president of the ultranationalist AUR, adding that “Romania will not be saved by corrupt politicians or by an elite that has sold its soul to globalism.”
The Constitutional Court is expected to decide this Monday whether to validate or annul the results of the first presidential round, against which two appeals have been filed.
On the other hand, the authorities will also have to report on the result of the recount of the votes cast in the first round of the presidential elections, as requested by the Constitutional Court.
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