Save Romania Union leading in general election, early results show
2 Min Read
The preliminary results of the ongoing Romanian election show that the liberal Save Romania Union is making gains.
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A woman exits a voting cabin with the colors of the Romanian flag as curtains before casting her vote in the country's parliamentary elections, in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, December 1, 2024 (AP)
The Save Romania Union (USR) has emerged as the frontrunner in the Romanian parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the Permanent Electoral Authority. With 0.15% of the ballots counted, USR is leading in both legislative chambers.
In the Chamber of Deputies, USR has secured 43.57% of the vote, while in the Senate, it leads with 48.02%. These early results reflect a strong performance by the liberal party, positioning it ahead in the race for control of Romania’s legislature.
Last Sunday, Calin Georgescu won the Presidential election after he garnered 22.65% of the vote, while Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu followed with 19.46%.
A runoff is set for December 8. Georgescu's strong performance was surprising, as polls had initially projected much lower support for him.
He is set to face Ciolacu in the runoff in one week.
During his campaign, Georgescu used TikTok to promote traditional values, while also praising the Romanian military.
Georgescu described NATO's ballistic missile defense system in Deveselu, Romania, as a "shame of diplomacy." He maintains that the North Atlantic Alliance would not defend its members if they were attacked by Russia.
Under Romanian law, the candidate who secures more than half of the votes from registered voters wins the presidential election. If no candidate achieves this threshold, a runoff is held two weeks later, with the winner determined by a simple majority.
Known for being a NATO critic, it is worth mentioning that earlier this year, construction started on what is set to become the largest NATO base in Europe, located in Romania.
