Romania’s pro-Western parties win election

Bucharest: Pro-Western parties won the most votes in Romania’s parliamentary election, data on Monday shows, and will look to form a coalition government as the European Union country sees a surge of support for far-right nationalists who made huge gains in the country’s legislature.

The leftist Social Democratic Party topped the polls in Sunday’s vote and the far-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, came in second ahead of the National Liberal Party.

The reformist Save Romania Union party, or USR, came in fourth place. Two smaller far-right nationalist parties also got enough votes to enter parliament.

The election revealed widespread anti-establishment sentiment in the EU and NATO member country, which is due to hold a presidential runoff on December 8 between far-right populist Calin Georgescu, and Elena Lasconi of USR.