Romanian Social Democrats’ Win Reduces Chances For Revival Of Anticorruption Reforms - Press

Leftist Social Democrats who promised to soften the impact of the global economic crisis won the most votes in Romania's parliamentary elections Sunday but did not get enough support to take power outright, the Associated Press said.

 

Two exit polls, both of which have been reliable in past elections, gave the bloc roughly 36% of the vote. The party, which includes former communist-era leaders, could still wind up in opposition, AP added. Anxiety over the worldwide economic slowdown was a major election issue, and the outcome was seen as a rebuke of (liberal Prime Minister) Tariceanu, who angered and dismayed many voters by suggesting recently that Romania was somehow immune to the global crisis.

 

Tariceanu sought to put the outcome in a positive light.

 

"I want Romania to go forward, not backward," he said in a televised speech. "Romania needs strong leaders ... together we succeeded in doing extraordinary things."

 

Bloomberg writes that Romanian voters had to choose a government that will have to shield the economy from global turmoil and protect the Balkan nation’s newfound prosperity.

 

“This is wonderful,” the agency quoted Livia Voinea, a 58-year-old pensioner waving a Social Democrat flag at a gathering of more than 100 supporters outside party headquarters after the vote. “I have a lot of faith in the Social Democrats. They’ll do whatever it takes to get us through his crisis. I want them to lower taxes and raise wages.”

 

Bloomberg highlights the low voter turnout and writes that all three main parties promised to boost social programs spending and build faster roads.

 

The most likely outcome of post-election talks is an alliance between the Social Democrats and Tariceanu’s Liberals, according to a research report by Citigroup Global Markets Ltd, Bloomberg reported.

 

The lack of an outright majority spells uncertainty ovr who will be the country’s next prime minister.

 

Reuters highlights in its turn that PSD will likely demand that President Traian Basescu nominate its chief, Mircea Geoana, 50, as the prime minister. Geoana, former ambassador to Washington, is seen as a reformist within the PSD but his influence is limited by party stalwarts, such as former president Ion Iliescu.

 

Observers say Basescu may try to form a grand alliance, pulling together all major parties. But this option, more than others, would be troubled by policy disagreements, particularly in terms of anti-corruption efforts, Reuters wrote. 

 

Reuters adds the victory of social democrats, once tainted by sleaze scandals and slow economic reforms, reduces chances for a revival of EU-mandated anti-corruption reforms. The PSD government in 2000-2004 was widely accused of allowing corruption to fester, Reuters also wrote.

 

DPA said voter turnouts, of 39.26%, were the lowest Romanian elections have seen since the fall of communism.