Romanian parliament votes: Far-right surge makes coalition talks complex
Romania prepares for crucial parliament election as polls show unexpected far-right gains. Both chambers face major changes while mainstream parties look to form new coalitions in next weekʼs vote
Next week Romania faces a key-moment in its political landscape - the nations parliament election will decide who gets seats in both chambers (the 133-seat Senate and 323-seat lower house)
The current set-up shows interesting numbers: Social Democrat Party holds about one-third of total seats; their ally Liberal Party controls almost one-fourth. The center-right Save Romania Union and hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians have smaller but significant presence - while ethnic Hungarian party maintains its traditional share
Latest polls paint an eye-catching picture: the Nov 26-28 survey by AtlasIntel shows far-right support at 22.4%; however mid-November data from INSCOP tells a different story with Social Democrats leading at 31.1%. These numbers dont include votes redistribution after 5% cut-off rule kicks in
- Budget deficit needs fixing - its now at 8% of GDP
- EU recovery funds worth 70 billion euros need proper management
- Energy price caps remain active till early-2025
- Market de-regulation questions stay open
The president will need to talk with winning parties about forming a government - experts think mainstream groups might join forces to block far-right influence. The new cabinet faces tough tasks: they must handle both domestic issues and international commitments (including EU deficit rules)
The road ahead looks complicated: whoever wins needs to deal with fiscal problems - making budget work while keeping access to EU money. Energy market changes also need attention; current rules that keep prices down for homes and businesses will need careful handling when they end
