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Romania’s mainstream political parties appeared on course to retain control of the country’s parliament, exit polls suggested after a general election on Sunday, despite big gains by nationalist far-right groups.
The election comes after a pro-Russia nationalist candidate secured victory in the first round of Romania’s presidential election last month.
At 25 per cent, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu’s centre-left PSD party won the largest share of the vote in the general election, according to exit polls, followed by the nationalist far-right AUR group on 20 per cent.
Two centre-right parties obtained about 15 per cent each. Another far-right group, SOS Romania, secured about 5 per cent.
The provisional numbers soothed fears that the chaos engulfing Romania’s presidential ballot would throw the general election off track.
Romanian authorities are investigating how nationalist Călin Georgescu topped the presidential ballot after carrying out a high profile social media campaign, saying there were signs of interference of “foreign state and non-state actors”.
The country’s constitutional court has ordered a recount of the votes cast in the presidential election, and may decide in the next few days to order a rerun of the first round.
Romania’s western partners are worried about a key ally in their efforts to counter Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Romania is a cornerstone of Nato’s strategy on Ukraine and the location of the military alliance’s largest planned base in Europe.
Analysts said a variety of options were possible to form a new government without nationalist far-right groups, including a broad coalition involving the PSD, or a minority centre-right administration.
“The exit-poll results indicate a fragmented parliament structured around three political blocks: the radical right at around 30 per cent, a centre-right block at around 35 per cent, and the centre-left at around 25 per cent,” said Costin Ciobanu, a researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark.
“The formation of a pro-democratic and Euro-Atlantic majority will not be easy, but it is a necessity given what a radical-right president and/or government could bring about for Romania,” he added.
Coalition talks are set to be overshadowed by the ongoing strife surrounding the presidential election.
The mainstream parties are trying to contain Georgescu while also potentially seeking to form a government in which the centre-right USR group of his presidential run-off opponent Elena Lasconi could be key to securing a parliamentary majority.
Questions were also raised about whether the PSD would participate in a coalition with the centre-right parties.
“The PSD is making a comeback [but] negotiations to form government will be difficult” because the parties who are strong in parliament must unite to avert the success of Georgescu and the far right, said Bucharest-based political analyst Radu Magdin.
Ciolacu said the PSD would be constructive. “We understood exactly the responsibility we have towards Romania. It is an important signal that Romanians have transmitted to the political class,” he added after the polls closed.
“I want to thank the millions of Romanians who . . . showed how solid democracy is in Romania.”
The constitutional court has said it would rule on a possible repeat of the first round of the presidential election on Monday.
Ciolacu, who came in third place by a razor-thin margin in the first round, has said he would contest a fresh election.
