Romania's Social Democrats lead parliamentary elections as mainstream parties gain support

Romania's ruling Social Democrat party (PSD) is set to win the most votes in the recent parliamentary elections, securing 22.6% with nearly all votes counted. This result comes despite a strong challenge from the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which received 18.2%. About 70% of voters supported mainstream parties, countering expectations of a far-right shift after the first round of the presidential election. The PSD's coalition partner, the National Liberal party (PNL), placed third with 14.4%, while the Save Romania Union (USR) followed with 12.1%. The outcome remains uncertain as Romania's constitutional court is expected to rule on whether to annul the first round of the presidential vote due to allegations of fraud. The presidential runoff is scheduled for December 8, where far-right candidate Călin Georgescu will face USR's Elena Lasconi.