BUCHAREST: Romanians voted on Sunday in the second round of presidential elections that are expected to ret­urn incumbent Klaus Iohannis to office, confirming the pro-European trajectory of the eastern EU member state.

Thirty years after the fall of communism, the centre-right former physics professor is running against Social Democrats (PSD) leader and former prime minister Viorica Dancila, whose government collapsed last month in a no-confidence vote.

In the first round of voting on Nov 10, Iohannis won 38 per cent of the vote, ahead of 13 other candidates. Dancila came second with 22 per cent.

Analysts say voters who backed lower-placed candidates can be expected to largely swing behind Iohannis, amid deep resentment toward the PSD over controversial judicial reforms.

A total of 18.2 million Romanians are eligible to vote with turnout at close to 50 per cent two hours before polls closed.

A record 650,000 voters are abroad — part of a four-million strong diaspora who have emigrated in search for better paying jobs — and tending to favour liberal candidates.

The PSD government had engaged in a long battle with the European Union, and Iohannis who backed Brussels, over allegations it was trying to push through measures to neuter the judiciary and benefit PSD politicians.

The left-wing party, which is seen as the successor of the ruling elite before the overthrow of communism in 1989 and has dominated politics since, has been accused of widespread corruption.

And while nationalism has been less present in Romanian politics than elsewhere in the region — such as in Hungary or Poland — the PSD tried to frame its clashes with EU institutions as evidence that it was standing up for Romania.

Judicial controversy

After the PSD-led administration’s fall, Iohannis tasked ally Ludovic Orban with forming a new government to be in place until legislative elections due late next year.

Iohannis made the rule of law a central plank of his campaign for a second five-year term, promising to help build functioning institutions without corruption.

Former foreign minister Cristian Diaconescu said Iohannis — who hails from the German minority and whose 2014 victory over a PSD candidate was a surprise — represents the “only European and Euro-Atlantic option”.

Under the constitution, Romania’s president is responsible for foreign affairs as well as approving the appointment of judges and top prosecutors.

Hundreds of thousands of Romanians have protested against the judicial reforms proposed by the PSD, seen as giving politicians a way to avoid corruption sentences.

Sociologist Alin Teodorescu has estimated that introducing the reforms has cost the PSD more than a million votes.

‘Dictator’ vs ‘toxic’

The PSD, which has become increasingly reliant on an ageing, rural electorate, has accused Iohannis of being a “dictator”.

Criticised for refusing any face-to-face debate during the campaign, Iohannis, in turn, called his rival the “incarnation of a toxic regime”.

Dancila, 55, an engineer by training, has highlighted the strong economic growth recorded during the PSD’s time in office, including increases in pensions and salaries in the public sector.

But this largesse has sparked concerns by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has warned about the country’s rising fiscal deficit.

In May, the PSD’s former chief and strongman, Liviu Dragnea was jailed on corruption charges, and the party also saw its support plunge during European elections.

Polling stations, which opened at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT), were set to close at 21:00 local time, shortly after which initial results should be released.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2019