{"id":38964,"date":"2024-12-01T00:15:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T05:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/romanians-cast-ballots-in-parliamentary-election-as-turmoil-in-presidential-race-grips-the-nation\/01\/12\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-12-01T00:15:52","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T05:15:52","slug":"romanians-cast-ballots-in-parliamentary-election-as-turmoil-in-presidential-race-grips-the-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/romanians-cast-ballots-in-parliamentary-election-as-turmoil-in-presidential-race-grips-the-nation\/01\/12\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Romanians cast ballots in parliamentary election as turmoil in presidential race grips the nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) \u2014 Romanians are casting ballots in a parliamentary election on Sunday sandwiched between a two-round presidential race, the first round of which has plunged the European Union and NATO member country into unprecedented turmoil following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference.<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s vote will elect a new government and prime minister and determine the formation of the country\u2019s 466-seat legislature. Romanians who are abroad have been able to vote since Saturday.<\/p>\n

The legislative vote<\/a> comes 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<\/a>. Calin Georgescu, 62, is due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party, or USR, in a Dec. 8 runoff.<\/p>\n

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Georgescu\u2019s success, which many have attributed to his rapid rise in popularity<\/a> on the social media platform TikTok, has triggered nightly protests throughout Romania by those who oppose his past remarks praising Romanian fascist leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin and view him as a threat to democracy.<\/p>\n

Many observers believe the presidential outcome indicates a sharp shift from Romania\u2019s mainstream parties to more populist anti-establishment parties, whose voices have found fertile ground amid high inflation, high cost of living and a sluggish economy.<\/p>\n

Alexandru Rizescu, a 24-year-old medical student, says he was surprised by the result in the first-round presidential ballot and that it\u2019s an \u201cobvious sign\u201d Europe at large is shifting towards far-right populism.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of us are sick of these big parties, but now we have to think about the \u2026 lesser evil,\u201d he said. \u201cIf Georgescu becomes president, with a favorable parliament, it\u2019s going to be wild.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a report by Expert Forum, a Bucharest-based think tank, Georgescu\u2019s TikTok account before last week’s vote saw an explosion of engagement, which it said appeared “sudden and artificial, similar to his polling results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without naming Georgescu, who declared zero campaign spending, Romania\u2019s top defense body said Thursday that \u201ca presidential candidate benefited from massive exposure due to preferential treatment\u201d granted by TikTok. Romania has become a \u201cpriority target for hostile actions\u201d by Russia, it added. The Kremlin denies it is meddling.<\/p>\n

The same day, the Constitutional Court requested a recount of all 9.4 million votes<\/a> after a presidential candidate who obtained 1%, filed a complaint alleging the USR had violated electoral laws against campaign activities on polling day. The Central Election Bureau approved the request and said scanned reports were due to be sent in by Sunday night. On Friday, the court postponed a decision until Monday on whether to annul the vote.<\/p>\n

Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, says Sunday\u2019s ballot compared to what many surveys had predicted could be reshaped by Georgescu’s success, with far-right parties possibly obtaining record highs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe impact of the surprise in last Sunday\u2019s presidential election will be significant, and we are going to wake up in a new political reality,\u201d he told The Associated Press. \u201cGeorgescu voters will speak again and will reshape how we look at the political Romanian spectrum from now on and probably forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to wake up on Monday in a new political reality in Romania,” he added. \u201cThe most probable scenario will be a difficult-to-build majority in the parliament to support and endorse a new government.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the two main opposition parties \u2014 which have dominated post-communist politics in Romania \u2014 the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the National Liberal Party, PNL, formed an unlikely coalition in 2021 which has become increasingly strained. A small ethnic Hungarian party exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.<\/p>\n

While the presidential role in Romania has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security and foreign policy, the prime minister is the head of the nation\u2019s government.<\/p>\n

Recent surveys have suggested the top three parties in Sunday\u2019s race will be the PSD, the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians and the PNL. After rising to the political scene eight years ago on an anti-corruption ticket, the USR\u2019s popularity has diminished in recent years, but could garner the next most votes.<\/p>\n

More minor parties that may not pass the 5% threshold to enter parliament include the pro-EU reformist REPER party and the liberal-conservative Force of the Right. Some have predicted that the far-right nationalist S.O.S Romania party, and the recently formed and little-known Party of Young People, which has backed Georgescu, could pass the threshold.<\/p>\n

Silviu Safta, a 30-year-old retail manager in Bucharest, said that Georgescu topping the polls was \u201ca surprise for everyone, except for the 2 million people that voted for him,” and that he’s skeptical whether Sunday’s parliamentary vote will follow the same populist tilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Romanians will be more informed about their elections and … their candidates,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a little bit skeptical about the results, but I hope that democracy will win.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanians are casting ballots in a parliamentary election on Sunday sandwiched between a two-round presidential race, the first