Romania’s Euro-skeptic opposition party AUR leads four parties in the pro-European coalition government, an opinion poll has showed.
The Alliance for Uniting Romanians AUR, the second-largest party in Parliament, topped polls last year even though leader George Simion was trounced in a presidential election re-run last May despite easily winning the first round. Parliamentary elections are almost three years away.
AUR is opposed to sending military aid to neighboring Ukraine, is critical of the European Union and supports U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies especially on energy and immigration. Mr Simion has been declared a persona non grata in Ukraine and Moldova.
The survey, conducted by INSCOP, released on Wednesday, showed that 40.9% of Romanians would vote for AUR, the highest level of support for a hard-right party in more than three decades.
The leftist Social Democrats (PSD), currently parliament’s biggest party and a member of the ruling coalition, trailed with 18.2%.
The center-right Liberal Party headed by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan had 13.5% support. The other two ruling parties – the center-right Save Romania Union (USR) and the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR – polled at 11.7% and 4.9%.
Romania is scheduled to hold a general election in 2028.
