Despite a strong showing, nationalists fail to achieve a majority in historic election

Amidst fears of a nationalist resurgence and record-high voter turnout in Romania’s parliamentary election on December 1^st, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) delivered a strong performance, receiving 594,783 votes at last count – 6.38 percent of the national total – and gaining two additional seats compared to 2020.

• According to official results announced by the Central Election Commission (BEC) on December 2^nd, a total of 32 legislators from RMDSZ won a mandate: 22 in the Chamber of Deputies and 10 in the Senate, an increase from 21 and 9 seats won by RMDSZ in 2020, respectively.[1]

The winner of Sunday’s election was the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which received 22.3 percent of the total vote. It was followed by the Union of Romanians-AUR (18.3%), National Liberal Party-PNL (14.2%), Save Romania Union-USR (12.2%), SOS Romania Party-SOS (7.8%), and Party of Young People-POT (6.4%). In all, 9.5 million citizens cast their ballots in the election, bringing eligible voter turnout to 48.48 percent, the highest rate of participation for a Romanian national election in 20 years.

RMDSZ leaders have partly attributed the party’s strong electoral performance to ethnic Hungarians’ fears that anti-Hungarian and nationalistic sentiments are gaining strength in Romania.[2] Leading up to the election, voices from across Romanian civil society expressed similar concerns about the resurgence of nationalism in the country, spurred in part by the surprise victory of independent, hard-right Călin Georgescu in the first round of the Romanian presidential election on November 24^th. Georgescu has aroused anxiety among advocates of democracy and minority rights within Romania by calling for a rehabilitation of fascist figures from Romania’s past, such as World War II-era dictator Ion Antonescu and Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, the leader of the Romanian nationalist “Iron Guard” paramilitary group during the 1930s.[3] Both figures espoused violent rhetoric against Hungarians and other ethnic minorities in Romania and were sentenced to death, Codreanu for manslaughter, Antonescu for his part in Romania’s Holocaust.

Georgescu has also sparked controversy across Europe by speaking favorably of Russian president Vladimir Putin and expressing skepticism about NATO and the EU.

In the second and final round of the presidential election on December 8^th, Georgescu is slated to face off against Elena Lasconi of the USR, a liberal party which broadly supports greater cooperation between Romania and the West. Recent polling indicates some 58 percent of Romanian voters favor Georgescu over Lasconi in the second round of the presidential election.[4]

Parliamentary impact

Though nationalist political parties within Romania – namely the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the S.O.S. Romania Party (SOS), and the Party of Young People (POT) – failed to win an overall majority in the parliament, together they achieved 32.7 percent of the vote, signaling a substantial increase in support since national elections were last held in 2020, when they received only 9 percent of the vote.

Anti-Hungarian statements

 Several statements and political positions directed against Romania’s ethnic Hungarian minority have emerged from this nationalist milieu. In May, an AUR deputy called for the closure of Hungarian schools in Cluj/Kolozs county.[5] Members of the AUR, including leader George Simion, also played a role in instigating clashes at the Valea Uzului/Úzvölgye war cemetery in June 2019, which resulted in damage to that property and the targeted assault of several ethnic Hungarian protesters. Simion has also called for the abolition of RMDSZ and other ethnic minority parties within Romania.

The strong performance of AUR and other nationalist parties in this election cycle therefore represents a significant threat to minority rights and positive interethnic relations in Romania.

• In a press conference on December 2^nd, RMDSZ president Kelemen Hunor reiterated his party’s opposition to supporters of fascist and Iron Guard ideology and signaled RMDSZ would offer support for Lasconi in the second round of the presidential election on December 8^th.[6] 

European-friendly Governing Coalition

Though a new government has yet to form, on December 2nd PSD, PNL, USD, and RMDSZ have concluded that they will open negotiations to form a broadly liberal, pro-Western majority governing coalition. However, with the AUR having placed second in the election overall, leader George Simion has also expressed a desire that his party enter the next government. This outcome is unlikely, given the AUR’s isolation from the political mainstream.

Far-right Călin Georgescu Wins First Round of Romanian Presidential Elections

The results of the first-round of the Romanian presidential elections on December 8 sent shockwaves through the Romanian political establishment and the country’s Western allies.

On Sunday, November 24, 2024 Călin Georgescu a far-right, independent candidate known for his xenophobic, anti-Semitic, pro-Russian and anti-establishment views won 22.94 percent of the vote. Center-right contender Elena Lasconi, leader of the opposition Save Romania Union Party (USR), came in second with 19.18 percent.

The outcome was a huge shock as pre-election opinion polls had Social Democrat (PSD) Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu as the frontrunner. The candidate of the other governing coalition partner, the center-right National Liberal Party’s failure was even more epic: Nicolae Ciucă garnered only 8.79 percent of the vote, finishing fifth.

The president, who is limited to two five-year terms, has a semi-executive role which includes heading Romania’s armed forces and chairing the supreme defense council that decides on military aid. The president represents Romania at EU and NATO summits and appoints the prime minister, chief judges, prosecutors and secret service heads.

Who is Călin Georgescu?

Until two years ago, Călin Georgescu was a member of the hard-right opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) but his views were too extremist for even them.

His rise took everybody by surprise as he had been polling in the single digits before the vote and ran a Tik Tok and YouTube-driven campaign. Considered personable, the themes of Georgescu’s campaign on social media have focused on the importance of family values, tradition, the Christian Orthodox Church and connection to the earth. Other videos emphasize his sporting abilities: the 62-year-old is a black belt in judo and he runs marathons.

[1] Results – CENTRAL ELECTORAL BUREAU; Results | Prezenta la vot, Parlamentare Decembrie 2024

[2] There is a good chance that the Hungarian party will come to power in Romania – Mandiner

[3] Ultranationalist candidate scores stunning first-round win in Romania election – POLITICO; An AUR candidate claims that Georgescu was not removed from Simion because of his legionary sympathies. What Would Be The Real Reason | Digi24

[4] Romania’s top court upholds presidential election first-round result | Reuters

[5] AUR Deputy of Cluj Alin Coleșa – Apartheid has not disappeared, it has just moved to Cluj

[6] Kelemen Hunor: I have never supported an anti-Hungarian, extremist candidate. UDMR will support Elena Lasconi | Digi24

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