Romania's top court upholds presidential election first-round result

By Luiza Ilie

Romania's Constitutional Court on Monday validated the shock first-round result in its presidential election, setting the stage for a run-off vote on Dec. 8 that could upend the country's pro-Western orientation and erode backing for Ukraine.

The ruling clears the uncertainty that has hung over the nation since the court demanded a vote recount last week, after the Nov. 24 victory of little-known far-right candidate Calin Georgescu raised suspicions of outside meddling in the electoral process of a country that has been a staunch ally of Ukraine.

"Judges unanimously decided to ... confirm and validate the result of the first presidential round on Nov. 24 and holding the second round on Dec. 8," chief judge Marian Enache said.

Georgescu will now face centre-right contender Elena Lasconi in the run-off in the European Union and NATO member state.

A day earlier Romania held a parliamentary election, with the ruling leftist Social Democrat Party (PSD) leading but with far-right parties gaining a third of seats in the new legislature.

The outcome of Sunday's parliamentary election, the second of three ballots scheduled over a period of as many weeks, sets the stage for what is likely to be a period of talks among mainstream parties on forming a governing majority, with the PSD central to the negotiations.

"We notice a rift," PSD leader and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu told reporters. The party has yet to endorse a candidate in the run-off. "Romanians must decide for themselves," he said.

"The PSD will need to be a bridge between EU-funded development and EU and NATO membership and ... a part of Romanians who believe in Christian values and national identity."

PRESIDENT'S ROLE

With 99.98% of votes counted in the parliamentary ballot, the PSD had won 22.3%, ahead of the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians with 18.3%.

Lasconi's centrist opposition Save Romania Union (USR) had 12.25% while the junior ruling coalition ally Liberals had 14.3%. Two far-right groupings, SOS and POT, had 7.75% and 6.4% respectively, and the ethnic Hungarian Party UDMR 6.38%.

Liberal leader Ilie Bolojan said the party was willing to participate in a pro-Western coalition.

"Those who rejoice democracy has won in Romania are doing so prematurely," political scientist Cristian Pirvulescu said.

"If the president is far-right, it would be very complicated for pro-Europeans to organise and resist in parliament because they will have an extraordinarily difficult 2025."

Who gets to form the government will ultimately depend on who wins the presidential race, since the president designates a prime minister.

A survey conducted by pollster CURS on Dec. 1 at voting stations showed Georgescu would win 57.8% in a run-off to Lasconi's 42.2%. The survey polled 24,629 people as they exited voting stations and had a margin of error of plus/minus 0.6%.

"Yesterday's election shows the pool of voters for Lasconi is very small, the pool of voters for Georgescu can be very large," Pirvulescu said.

"PSD voters have more in common with the far right candidate, who has an important shot at winning the election."