Romania Goes to Polls, Elects Iohannis’s Successor

Polling stations have opened in Romania to choose the country’s new president, who will be elected after two consecutive mandates for liberal Klaus Iohannis, as he can no longer run for re-election.

According to political analysts, it is unlikely that any of the 14 candidates will gain the majority (50% plus one vote) needed to become president today, and the second round of elections is likely to be held on December 8.

According to the polls, the favorites will be the incumbent prime minister, with about 25% of the vote, Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu (PSD), and the representative of the “sovereign” right, George Simion (Union for the Unity of Romanians, AUR), who are favored by between 15% and 18%, according to the polls. They are followed by former liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca (PNL) and conservative Elena Lasconi (Save Romania Union, USR). Romania’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for December 1, will also take place in the next few days.