President Klaus Iohannis of Romania was easily re-elected on Sunday for a new term. In a second round of voting, he decisively defeated his socialist challenger with promises to end years of political chaos. He also pledged to resume judicial reform, which had been delayed by successive corrupt Romanian Social Democratic (PSD) governments.
Iohannis secured over 63 percent of the votes. He clearly outpaced his opponent, former Prime Minister Viorica Dancila of the PSD, who received 36.9 percent of the votes.
In his second term, Iohannis can resume and continue Romania's pro-European course. This will now be easier for him as he can collaborate with a new government that supports him. "Today, modern Romania, European Romania, normal Romania has won," Iohannis said in an initial reaction. "It is the clearest victory against the PSD."
Romania has experienced political turbulence for several years: on Monday the parliament narrowly approved the new government led by new Prime Minister Orban. Orban succeeds Dancila as prime minister. When her government fell after months of scandals, it marked the third Romanian government led by social democrats to resign prematurely. The Orban government will govern until the next parliamentary elections, which must be held within the year. However, early elections in the spring are also possible.
Orban hopes, together with Iohannis, to cleanse the country of corruption, which thrives even within political circles.
According to the Central Electoral Bureau in Bucharest, voter turnout was 49.87 percent. This is the lowest level since the fall of communism 30 years ago. Nearly one million Romanians living abroad voted for the first time. The government had expanded the opportunity to vote at consulates.
During his first term, the 60-year-old Iohannis was constantly at odds with the changing Social Democratic governments. The last government under Dancila was toppled by a vote of no confidence; she had to resign on November 4. The core of the conflict was the PSD party's attempt under Dancila to weaken criminal law to favor corrupt defendants.
Iohannis criticized this, as did the European Commission. For several years, the European Commission has criticized Romania’s deficient judiciary, corruption, and cronyism among politicians, businesspeople, and public officials.