'Record turnout' in Romania's parliamentary election

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00:00A record turnout for these parliamentary elections, which happened to be held on the same day

00:05as the national holiday celebrating the Great Union of Romania in 1918.

00:11Voters heading to the polls are expressing a wide range of feelings.

00:14Some are concerned about a possible record score for far-right parties and a possible

00:19regression for democracy, while others emphasize the need for a protest vote, the need for

00:24an anti-establishment and a conservative choice.

00:28We've already seen the rise of the far-right last Sunday during the first round of the

00:31presidential election, when far-right candidate Călin Georgescu arrived first with almost

00:3623% of the vote.

00:39Frustrated by the high cost of living, many voters are disillusioned with the major parties

00:44that have dominated Romanian politics since the fall of communism.

00:48Far-right parties have also capitalized on strong feelings linked to nationalism and

00:52religion and their messages were widely shared on social media.

00:57Romania is also in a period of uncertainty after the Constitutional Court has called

01:01for a recount of the votes from the first round of the presidential election.

01:06It will announce tomorrow whether the results will be validated or if the vote will need

01:10to be repeated.

01:11The run-off was initially planned for December 8th.

01:14So this is certainly a decisive moment for the country, which shares a long border with

01:19Ukraine.

01:20Some observers suggest that the election represents a choice between consolidating Romania's

01:25pro-European path or a nationalism that could isolate the country.

01:31First result estimates are expected to come in after the polls close at 9pm local time.

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