Polling stations open in Romania for crucial elections in a context of economic challenges

The elections mark the end of the mandate of the current president, Klaus Iohannis

Nov. 24 () –

Voting centers in Romania opened their doors this Sunday at 7:00 a.m. (local time) for the ninth presidential elections, at a crucial moment for the future of a country that faces economic and social challenges in the midst of a growing geopolitical tension in Eastern Europe.

These elections, in which some 18 million people will be called to the polls in nearly 19,000 polling stations, will mark the end of the mandate of the president, Klaus Iohannis, who is not eligible for a third term after having been elected in 2014 and re-elected. in 2019.

The latest voting intention polls, according to the Romanian state news agency Agerpres, point to the Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), as the favorite, who would obtain approximately a third of the votes.

Ciolacu defends greater integration of Romania into the European Union and the Schengen area. Followed by the Social Democrat in the electoral race, could be the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, with around 20 percent of the votes.

Simion, considered by many to be a far-right nationalist, defends Romania’s permanence in NATO, but also promotes the country’s neutrality and non-intervention in international conflicts.

In third position, very close to AUR, would be the former Minister of Defense and leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Nicolae Ciuca, a staunch defender of joining the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and strengthening of the strategic alliance with the United States and NATO, according to Agerpres.

Other key candidates are Elena Lasconi, from the Union Save Romania (USR) party, or former NATO deputy secretary general Mircea Geoana, who is running as an independent candidate.

The President of Romania is elected by an absolute majority. In the event that no candidate achieves this threshold, the two most voted will go to a second round.

The elections, which are expected to be close, are important for the future of the country due to the change to a new presidency after the departure of Iohannis.

Furthermore, Romania is going through a crucial moment, as it faces economic and social challenges, while the president-elect will have to manage an increasingly tense geopolitical context in Eastern Europe, marked by the war in Ukraine and growing tensions with Russia.