The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the parliamentary elections in Romania this Sunday with 23.8% of the votes, while the pro-European forces together would add close to 57%, when practically all the ballots have been recounted. The ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) is in second place with 17.8% of the votes, in third place is the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), with around 14.6%. And, in fourth position are the centrist nationalists Union Save Romania (USR), with 11.2% of the votes.
Also entering the Romanian Parliament – after overcoming the 5% barrier – are the far-right groups SOS Romania, with 7.2% and the Youth Party, with 5.8%. The formation of the Hungarian minority, Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania (UDMR), achieves 6.9%.
The two formations that have dominated Romanian politics in recent decades and that have governed in a grand coalition since 2021, the PSD and the PNL, have suffered significant losses of support. The PSD loses just under five points compared to the previous legislative elections in 2020, while the PNL accumulates a drop of more than ten points. However, the European bloc to which they are attached, together with the USR and UDMR, accounts for around 57% of the votes, while the ultranationalist formations do not exceed 31%.
Analysts predicted an increase in support for ultra parties in Romania, which is a member country of NATO and the European Union (EU), after the unexpected victory a week ago of the pro-Russian in the presidential elections, in which he obtained almost the 23% of the votes. Control of the Romanian Parliament will be key for the bloc of pro-European parties to act as a counterweight to Georgescu’s possible presidency.
The pro-Russian party, the one that rises the most
“Romanians came out to vote and showed how solid democracy is in Romania. The PSD is the main political force in Romania,” said Social Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who resigned a week ago as leader of the party for failing to achieve reach the second presidential round when he started as a favorite.
The PSD leader, whose voters are mainly from rural areas, added: “I think we should all look carefully at today’s result. It is an important signal that Romanians sent to the political class. Let us continue to develop the country with European money, but Let us protect our identity, our national values and our faith.
The formation that has grown the most is AUR, which would double its percentage from 9% in 2020 to almost 18%. Participation, at 52.5%, has been the highest in a legislative election since 2004. AUR leader George Simion had promised that if he comes to power he will suspend military aid to Ukraine and, with rhetoric similar to the of the Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultranationalist Viktor Orbán, assures that he wants “peace” and a “truce” in the conflict unleashed by the Russian invasion. The ultra politician presents himself as a defender of traditional and “true Romanian” values, with rhetoric that mixes nationalist, irredentist, religious and populist aspects.
Protest vote and fed up
The rise of ultranationalist forces reflects the discontent that exists in Romania regarding corruption, poverty and the management of the traditional parties, PSD and PNL. A year ago, in 2023, a third of Romanians were at risk of poverty and the average annual income was still less than a third (around 6,500 euros) of the EU average, according to Eurostat.
In addition, inflation, which last year was 10% and this year is expected to be 5%. And in the case of basic foods, the price is much higher than before the pandemic: 50%, according to official data.
These legislative elections have been overshadowed by a week of high tension in Romanian politics, first by the surprise victory of Colin Georgescu and then by the recount of all the presidential votes ordered by the Constitutional Court due to suspicions of fraud, which this Monday will decide whether to validate or annul the results of the first presidential round.
Barely known, Georgescu, supported by a sophisticated strategy in TikTok which reached hundreds of millions of views, declared having spent no funds on his campaign, raising suspicions of illegal financing and foreign interference. Romania, until now a bastion of stability in the Black Sea region and a key NATO ally in Western aid to Ukraine, is now mired in an unprecedented situation of political uncertainty.
The head of state is responsible for appointing a prime minister in charge of forming a government once the two chambers have been constituted and elect their presidents. Although the president has limited powers, he has powers in security, foreign policy – he represents the country in the Council of the EU – and sets political times.
