AGERPRES

The voting in the European Parliament elections ended at 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Over 18,000 polling stations in Romania closed their doors.

Votes were cast between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. in 18,532 polling stations in Romania; 190 polling stations for Romanian citizens abroad use their local time.

AGERPRES correspondent Ivan Radev reports: The turnout at the polling station opened at the Romanian Embassy in Sofia - the only where Romanian nationals on the territory of Bulgaria can exercise their right to vote in the 2014 European elections - remains low.

Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel cast his vote in the European Parliament elections on Sunday afternoon, at 'Ienachita Vacarescu' School No. 74 in Bucharest; he blessed the election officials and the voters, and handed out small icons of the Virgin Mary.

Spokesperson of the opposition's Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) Adriana Saftoiu on Sunday told AGERPRES that she voted for Romania to stay in Europe.

President Traian Basescu stated that he voted for a new political party he hoped to continue with the process of reform of the state and advised those who didn't have a political option to show up at the polling stations anyway, even if it would be just to cancel their ballot, since a good turnout will still prove that Romanians are interested in the EU.

MP Elena Udrea said that she voted thinking that Romania needed powerful people who should represent it here and in Europe. 'I have voted thinking that Romania needed powerful people who should represent it both here and in Europe,' said Elena Udrea after casting her vote at the Mihai Eminescu National College in Bucharest.

MEP Daciana Sarbu voted on Sunday at School No. 17 in Bucharest, along with Prime Minister Victor Ponta and their daughter Irina.

"I have voted with the conviction that wonderful things can be done for our country," said Daciana Sarbu, adding that she hoped as many people as possible would turn out to elect their representatives in the EP.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta cast his vote in the elections to the European Parliament at Elementary School No 17 of Bucharest, on Sunday, accompanied by wife Daciana Sarbu and daughter Irina.

The Civic Force's President Mihai Razvan Ungureanu said he voted as a responsible citizen, certain that Romania's fate depends on that of Europe and that "we all could contribute to our welfare, if we knew to be Europeans."

Prime Minister Victor Ponta cast his vote in the elections to the European Parliament at Elementary School No 17 of Bucharest, on Sunday, accompanied by wife Daciana Sarbu and daughter Irina.