Romania Elects New Government Amid Pandemic

Despite lacking solid support in parliament, Orban had great plans when he took office in November last year, after the government of the Social Democratic Party, PSD, was toppled in a no-confidence vote.

His minority centre-right government promised to reduce the public deficit left by its populist predecessors. It also committed itself to undoing the controversial justice reforms championed by the PSD, which hasd been condemned at home and abroad as an attack on the rule of law, and had turned Romania into a black sheep in the eyes of the European Union.

Orban's National Liberal Party, PNL, government has partially succeeded in undoing the changes to the justice system. 

But, as has happened to most EU governments, the pandemic has derailed its economic expectations. Romania is set to end 2020 with an economy that has shrunk by 4.2 per cent and a deficit of over 9 per cent of GDP.

Romanians working in such important sectors as tourism, retail or the hospitality industry have borne the brunt of the economic calamity brought about by the lockdown, and by the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

Opinion polls show that the ruling party has paid a heavy price. The PNL's support ratings have fallen from 45 per cent in January to below 30 per cent today, surveys show. According to most polls, the liberals can expect between 25 and 28 per cent of votes cast on Sunday.

Ludovic Orban (L), Romania's premier and the leader of PNL (National Liberal Party), chats with reporters shortly after a campaigning event held at the newly opened PNL campaign headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, 12 November 2020. Archive photo: EPA-EFE/ROBERT GHEMENT

These numbers make it almost inevitable that the PNL...