The Constitutional Court of Romania announced on Thursday a vote recount, a move that suggests the potential cancellation of the first round of the presidential elections. The Court is set to decide on Friday at 2:00 PM whether to validate the election results or annul the first round, as contested by Cristian Terheș (a Romanian politician known for his anti-system rhetoric). However, it is unlikely a decision will be reached tomorrow. According to experts consulted by G4Media.ro, the recount process could take weeks, if not months, to complete. For a detailed explanation on why this delay is expected, click here.
In other words, the Constitutional Court is expected to postpone any decision regarding the annulment of the elections to an uncertain date. This uncertainty will overshadow the parliamentary elections set for Sunday. As previously noted, the primary beneficiaries of the current chaos—an unprecedented situation in three decades of democracy—will be anti-system parties and candidates like AUR (the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians) and SOS (a smaller anti-establishment party). Recent polls already show a sharp rise in support for AUR, which may have surpassed the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
Looming cancellation of Romania’s first-round presidential elections: a democracy in crisis
