The vote puts a pause – for now – on the political drama that ensued following the first round of presidential elections December 1. Five days later, Romania’s constitutional court annulled the vote on evidence that Russia manipulated TikTok to boost the candidacy of little-known far-right candidate Calin Georgescu.
While Ciolacu’s Social Democratic party topped the parliamentary vote in that election, he came in third in the presidential vote and was eliminated as a presidential candidate and stepped down as leader. The tainted presidential contest must now be rerun, likely in the spring. Ciolacu’s new coalition will field a joint candidate, retired liberal politician Crin Antonescu.
What’s on Ciolacu’s agenda? Romania’s new government faces severe fiscal challenges. The national budget deficit is projected to top 8.5% of GDP, threatening a credit downgrade to junk status. Ciolacu has pledged to stabilize the economy and rebuild investor confidence, but austerity measures could fuel support for extremists ahead of next year’s vote.
We’re also watching for more allegations of Russian interference, and whether the court’s annulment changes the rest of the presidential election in the spring.
