Romanians head to the polls in parliamentary elections amid political turmoil

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00:00The parliamentary election is seen as the country's most important one,

00:03and we're seeing a significantly higher voter turnout so far compared to the previous

00:08parliamentary election. This can partly be explained by the political crisis currently

00:13unfolding in the country. Last Sunday was also the first round of the presidential election,

00:19where an independent far-right candidate, Kéline Giorgescu, surprisingly arrived on top.

00:24Then there is the decision by the Constitutional Court to ask for a recount of the votes,

00:30a recount which is still ongoing. The political situation is very tense and uncertain at the

00:36moment, but what we can already say is that the far-right is on the rise, with its national,

00:41conservative and anti-Western rhetoric gaining traction. For these parliamentary elections,

00:47the far-right Out Party, led by Georges Simien, could potentially come out on top,

00:52ahead of the PSD and the PNL, the two main parties that have dominated Romania's political

00:57scene since the fall of communism. It's an anti-establishment vote, but we're also observing

01:02a normalisation of the far-right rhetoric rooted in the country's fascist past, including

01:08a religious mysticism that resonates with many voters here. Romania is a predominantly Christian

01:13Orthodox country, and its population is highly devout. The parliamentary election is a single

01:18round vote, and parties will need to agree on a future coalition. The first estimates

01:24of the results are expected at 9pm local time.

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