Romanian election sparks hope, controversy over poll results

The exit poll results show that Romanian media are already discussing potential coalition scenarios. However, experts advise patience and urge people to wait for the final results.

The exit polls do not account for nearly 800,000 votes from the diaspora. Secondly, the exit polls were significantly off in the first round of the presidential elections, showing results markedly different from the outcomes.

Marcel Ciolacu, the current prime minister and former leader of the Social Democratic Party, acknowledged the significant responsibility towards Romania. "It is an important signal that Romanians have sent to the political class," said the Social Democrat Prime Minister. He emphasized the importance of advancing the country using European funds while protecting its identity, national values, and faith. Ciolacu stepped down as party leader following his third-place finish in the first round of the presidential elections.

According to the exit poll, the PSD gained 26% in the parliamentary elections.

The leader of the radical right-wing AUR party, which according to the exit poll took second place with 19%, George Simion, spoke about the "rebirth of Romania," indicating not only the result of his party but also two anti-system forces: S.O.S Romania (5.4%) and the Young People’s Party POT (5.4%). The center-left progressive party SENS did not exceed the election threshold, obtaining over 3%.

Simion remarked on the initial skepticism faced when predicting the rise of new political forces in parliament. "Today the Romanian people voted for the pro-sovereignty forces," stated the leader of the far-right AUR party. He described this period as a potential historical turning point, emphasizing that, through collective determination, Romania is undergoing a renewal. "It is the beginning of a new era in which the Romanian people reclaim the right to decide their own destiny," he concluded.

He also declared that AUR will not form a coalition with PSD because "it does not ally with corruption," his party will support Calin Georgescu in the presidential elections with all its resources.

Diana Sosoaca, the leader of the nationalist and pro-Russian S.O.S Romania party, reported to the portal G4media.ro that she accused authorities of rigging the elections and announced her intention to file a criminal complaint regarding the organization of the elections.

"From what I saw in the exit poll, I think the wisest thing would be to wait for tomorrow's vote count. When Romanians unite, we can make miracles happen! TikTok bots cannot destroy our democracy. [...] We will bitterly defend our independence from Russia! The memory of the Russian tanks running over us is not forgotten," said the centre-right leader of USR, Elena Lasconi. Acknowledging the frustration of Romanian citizens, she highlighted their dissatisfaction with the 35 years of governance by the current elite.

Lasconi's party gained more than 15% support in the exit poll.

Jakub Bielamowicz, an Institute of New Europe analyst, emphasizes that "the outcome of the elections in Romania has never been so difficult to predict."

"After the first round of the presidential elections, where, surprising everyone, the first place was won by a radically right-wing candidate from the fringe of Romanian politics, Calin Georgescu, a high result is also expected in the parliamentary elections for parties with a similar profile," noted Bielamowicz.

The turnout in the parliamentary elections was over 52%, with 9.4 million votes cast. About 50,000 votes from countries where voting ended after the polls closed in Romania (which occurred at 2 PM Eastern Time) will be added to this total.