Only a fourth of Romanian voters showed up on Sunday at the first European Parliament elections that took place in Romania after it joined the EU in January this year, according to the first data announced on closing polls. A referendum called by President Basescu for today, on the introduction of uninominal voting in Romania, was reported to have registered similar turnout numbers, well under the 50 percent plus one vote needed to pass, thus invalidating the support of some 90 percent of voters who cast a vote.
Best placed among Romanian parties in the EP elections comes the Democratic Party (PD), the main supporter of President Traian Basescu, with some 31,5% of the vote, according to a CSOP exit poll quoted by TV news station Realitatea TV.
PD is followed by the opposition Social Democrats (PSD) with 21.1%, the governing Liberals (PNL) with 15.6% and the Liberal Democrats (PLD) with 6.9%. The Hungarian Democrats (UDMR), who are a minority member of the government, lured 6.2% of the vote, while independent ethnic Hungarian pastor Laszlo Tokes drew 3.7%.
Similar figures (+/- 1 percent) were reported by the CCSB pollster.
Other results, according to CSOP exit poll:
New Generation Party (PNG) - 4.6%Greater Romania Party (PRM) - 3.4%Conservative Party (PC) - 2.4% (4.2% according to CCSB)National Initiative Party (PIN) - 1.6%Peasants Party (PNTCD) - 1.3%Rroma Party - 0.9%Green Party - 0.9%
According to exit polls, entering the European Parliament are:
PD (PPE)PSD (PES)PNL (ALDE)PLDHungarian DemocratsIndependent Laszlo Tokes
The group of nationalists in the European Parliament is losing the considerable contribution received this year by the far-right PRM party, whose leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor had already threatened to leave the EP group earlier this autumn in protest of the stance of the Italian fa
