Exit polls: Social Democrats in major lead in Romania parliamentary elections

Romania’s biggest political party, the Social Democrats (PSD), won a major lead over challenging Liberals in parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to exit polls announced at 9 p.m.. The exit polls placed the PSD at well over 40%, more than double the votes received by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and four times as much as the newly formed Save Romania Union (USR), which managed up to 10% of the votes.

Exit polls presented by two TV news channels also placed ALDE, a traditional ally of the Social Democrats, as well as the Hungarian-minority group UDMR at about 6%, above the 5% threshold needed to enter the parliament.

The results come at the end of a polling day that saw a very low turnout among youngsters, a category marked by severe political apathy. It was expected that a low turnout would boost the PSD results, while a higher turnout would have helped the Liberals and the USR.

IRES exit poll for Digi 24 news channel (results valid for 8 p.m.):

– House of Deputies