BUCHAREST: Romanians voted in parliamentary elections on Sunday, with the governing pro-European liberals expected to win despite criticism for their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 18 million Romanians are eligible to take part in the vote, which has been organised to take in the now familiar virus safety measures of social distancing, mask-wearing and hand disinfectant.
Polling stations abroad have been open since Saturday, with more than 120,000 expatriate Romanians having cast a ballot by midday on Sunday, according to the electoral authority.
Romania is one of the poorest countries in the EU and four million of its citizens have left in recent years to seek better lives elsewhere, in particular in Western EU member states.
In a region where populists and nationalists have recently gained ground, liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has won support by pledging to modernise Romania and keep it on a "pro-European" path.
Orban has been running a minority government for the past year.
A recent opinion poll published by the IMAS institute showed his National Liberal Party (PNL) garnering 28 percent of the vote, ahead of the main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) at 23 percent.
The recently-formed centre-right alliance USR-Plus are forecast to win 18 percent, which would bolster their growing influence in Romanian politics.
Trust and hope
Both the virus and widespread disillusionment with politics are expected to weigh on turnout, which stood at 11 percent at midday, as opposed to 12.5 percent at the same time during the last such election in 2016.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT), when an exit poll will be published by the local media.
The first official results are expected later in the evening.
After having voted in a Bucharest school, 63-year-old retired electrician Gheorghe Preda said he had "no hope" of change and criticised both big parties "who have been taking turns in power for 30 years and make lots of promises during the campaign, but forget them afterwards".
But 104-year-old philosopher Mihai Sora, who won the admiration of many Romanians for doggedly turning out for hours during anti-corruption protests in recent years, said staying away from the polls was not an option.
"I voted with trust and hope, in thinking of my country and the future of its people," he wrote in a Facebook post.
Adina Ionescu, 42, was watching her two daughters enjoy themselves on an open-air ice rink before heading to cast her vote later.
She had received some chocolate for her traditional St. Nicholas' Day present and was hoping for another gift at the close of the polls: "A government of young people, which cares about the environment and about Romanians' welfare".
The PNL have the advantage of being supported by President Klaus Iohannis, who has brushed aside criticism that he is disrespecting his constitutional role by campaigning for the liberals.
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