Establishment parties could hold ground in Romania

Significance

The far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) made significant gains even though it performed slightly worse than opinion polls had predicted. Nonetheless, its rise raises the question of whether Romania will join the ranks of EU members whose domestic agenda is influenced by a far-right party.

Impacts

• Populist tendencies will remain strong among all parties.
• Fiscal adjustments to rein in rampant budget deficits are unlikely this year.
• The AUR will have to moderate some of its positions if it wants to gain a greater share of the electorate.