Romania’s far right is expected to make gains in parliamentary elections By Reuters
Written by Luiza Ilie
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romanians will go to the polls in parliamentary elections on Sunday where they are expected to take full advantage of uncertainty over whether a shock presidential election result will prevail.
Days after right-wing politician Calin Georgescu won a majority of the vote in the presidential election, an opinion poll this week showed the Alliance for Uniting Romanian (AUR) had a slight lead over the Social Democrats.
A victory by the opposition in Sunday’s parliamentary vote after a campaign fueled by voter concerns over budget problems and the cost of living could increase Romania’s support for the West and erode support for Ukraine, political analysts said.
“People who voted for Georgescu peacefully do not see that we are talking about change,” said political scientist Cristian Pirvulescu.
Romania is a member of the European Union and NATO.
Georgescu’s surprise victory last Sunday sparked allegations of campaign meddling, prompted a recount and led the loser to ask the country’s supreme court to rerun the first round of voting.
Confusion means parliamentary elections continue with voters unsure of the outcome of the first round presidential vote.
They also don’t know that the presidential run-off – scheduled for Dec. 8 between Georgescu and Elena Lasconi – will continue or be held later.
The Constitutional Court reviewed the situation on Friday but decided to postpone until Monday the decision on whether to cancel the first round.
Georgescu ran as a strong challenger to independent parties, but political analysts say right-wing parties are likely to benefit from the uncertainty.
“The total beneficiaries … are Georgescu and the anti-establishment camp that is now getting more ammunition: this is how state institutions work, how smart they are,” said Sergiu Miscoiu, professor of political science at the University of Babes-Bolyai.
An AtlasIntel opinion poll conducted from November 26-28 put the strong AUR at 22.4%, with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu’s Social Democrats at 21.4%, down 10 percentage points in two weeks and Lasconi’s Save Romania Union at 17.5 %. The poll did not contribute to the recount.
BUDGET, OPERATIONS AND INVESTMENT
Georgescu, 62, has been critical of NATO and Romania over Ukraine, and said Bucharest should engage, not challenge Russia. Opinion polls did not predict his success.
The AUR has 8.5% of the seats in the current Legislature, and two far-right parties could also enter parliament.
Ciolacu came third in the presidential election’s first round, reflecting voter dissatisfaction with his government after campaigning on a promise of stability while the war in Ukraine continued.
The next government will face a difficult task in trying to reduce the EU’s largest budget deficit of 8% of economic output. It will also face pressure to maintain defense spending targets once Donald Trump’s US presidency begins.
Romania has the EU’s largest share of people at risk of poverty, and much of the country needs investment.
“We have an unevenly developed country and great frustration is accumulating in these marginal areas which will be the victims of those who know how to deal with them,” said anthropologist Bogdan Iancu.
In cities like Victoria, in the shadow of the Fagaras mountains in the Southern Carpathians, the promise of jobs is important. In the three decades since the communist-era chemical industry was largely shut down, the city’s population has dropped to 6,400 and hundreds of residents endure long commutes to work.
“First, I will vote for factories to come here. So that we have a place to work,” said Mihai Coroianu, 52, shoveling snow in the city’s main square.
The city’s mayor Camelia Bertea received 31 million euros ($33 million) in EU funds for local projects over three years, including reopening the local hospital, the equivalent of Victoria’s budget for 31 years.
The government also confirmed investment by the German defense group Rheinmetall (ETR:) to build a gun range near Victoria by 2027, providing hundreds of jobs.
“The future of a small town without financial prospects would be EU funds,” said Bertea.
($1 = 0.9478 euro)
