Romanian political party leaders comment on European elections results

The leaders of Romania’s main political parties commented on the exit polls results on Sunday evening, some taking the results for granted with others expecting the vote to conclude as the polls took into consideration the 7.00 results.

Exit polls put Social Democrats (PSD) neck in neck with the Democratic Liberals (PD-L), with PSD in a lead of less than 1 percentage point above PD-L. PSD leader Mircea Geoana said that the results confirmed his party was the strongest political group in Romania and also spoke of Elena Basescu, the President’s daughter who ran as an independent in these elections, saying that probably PD-L, the President’s party, would probably try to sum their results with Elena’s.

For his part, PD-L leader Emil Boc said the final count of the vote will establish a victory for his party as it happened in the 2008 general elections. His arguments: in autumn last year, polls placed PD-L 5% below PSD, but the final count put PD-L first; and current exit polls were based on 7.00 p.m. results.

Boc said the elections confirmed the PD-L was the party best representing Romanians in Europe.

Meanwhile, Corneliu Vadim Tudor, the leader of the far-right Greater Romania Party, said these elections signaled the return of PRM, while populist businessman-politician Gigi Becali, who also ran on the PRM list for EP, thanked people who voted him and promised he would not „disappoint”.

And opposition National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Crin Antonescu thanked Romanians „who voted only once” – alluding to accusations that the voting process was marred by irregularities.