Ruling pro-Western social democrats come in 1st in Romania’s parliamentary election

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The ruling pro-Western Social Democratic Party (PDS) came in first in Romania’s Sunday parliamentary election, as announced by the country’s election body.

With nearly 100% of the ballots opened, in the Senate the PDS won 22.32% of the votes with over 2.06 million votes, officials announced on Monday

The PDS was followed by the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which garnered 18.28% with 1.69 million votes, and the center-right National Liberal Party (PDL), which got 14.29% with over 1.32 million votes, the Save Romania Union (USR) with 1.13 million votes and 12.25%, and the far-right SOS Romania party with 7.75% and over 716,000 votes.

In elections for the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, the PDS won 21.86% with more than 2.06 million votes.

It was followed by the AUR, which garnered 17.92% with 1.69 million votes, the PDL with 14% and over 1.32 million votes, the USR with 12.35% and 1.13 million votes, and the far-right SOS Romania party with 7.6% and over 717,000 votes.

The Populist Party of Young People and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania also passed the 5% electoral threshold.

The PSD secured 86 seats in the lower chamber and 37 in the Senate, followed by AUR with 64 seats in the lower chamber and 28 in the Senate, and the PNL with 50 seats in the lower chamber and 22 in the Senate.

According to the Romanian Constitution, at least 235 members of the parliament, which is made up of 331 lawmakers and 136 senators, is required to form a government, and the PDS falls short of those numbers.

The means a coalition government, led by PDS with the help of other centrist parties, is likely to be formed.