Exit polls released after parliamentary elections on Sunday show that Romania’s far-right parties have made massive gains in their best result ever since the fascist interwar period.
According to the exit polls, the hard-right AUR party came second with 19% according to the CURS exit poll, with two smaller sovereigntist EU and NATO skeptic parties winning 5.5 percent each, potentially giving the nationalists 30% of the Parliament, and even more when votes are redistributed.
Acknowledging their votes, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said:
“It’s an important alarm for the political class: we’ll develop the country with European money but we’ll protect our identity, national values and faith,” he said.
AUR first entered parliament in 2020 with more than 9% of the vote and its popularity has grown since then.
Despite their historical gains, the ‘soverigntists’ as they describe themselves did not win enough to form a majority in an election that was overshadowed by a chaotic first round of presidential elections on November 24.
Calin Georgescu, an unorthodox far-right candidate shocked the political establishment to easily win the first round which gave nationalist parties a boost. Centrist mayor Elena Lasconi was runner-up.
Romania’s Constitutional Court has controversially ordered a recount of the votes.
Exit polls show pro-European parties with comfortable win in Romania parliamentary elections
