The timetable of the presidential and parliamentary elections

The parties in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, have announced the timetable of the upcoming elections in Romania.

Mihai Pelin, 05.07.2024, 14:00

After extended debates, the ruling coalition agreed on holding the first round of the presidential elections on 24^th November and the second on the 8^th December. The Parliamentary elections would be held on 1^st December. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said the agreement reached takes into account the conclusions of the consultations he held earlier this week with the political parties, most of which wanted the elections to be held on time. Marcel Ciolacu:

“We signed together with our ruling partners an agreement on the election timetable that takes into account the principles discussed during the consultations with the political parties in Parliament. We agreed that the presidential elections would be held on 24^th November, the first round, and 8^th December, the second round, and that the parliamentary elections would be held on 1^st December. We can now adopt a government decision to validate the election timetable and close the subject.”

The leader of the National Liberal Party Nicolae Ciucă emphasised that the agreement also takes into account the fact that political parties do not want the two elections to be held on the same date. Nicolae Ciucă (TRACK):

“From the talks we’ve had, political parties said they are not opposed to parliamentary elections being held on 1^st December. It’s the date of our national holiday and it can also be a celebration of democracy. Taking into account all these talks and the legal provisions, this is the timetable that will be adopted by government decision.”

Nicolae Ciucă says he doesn’t think voter turnout will be lower on 1^st December, which is Romania’s National Day and a bank holiday in this country, and again reiterated that the Liberals and the Social Democrats would have their own candidates in the presidential elections.

Elena Lasconi, the new leader of the Save Romania Union, in opposition, welcomed the agreement reached by the two parties in government on the election timetable, but said they should also concentrate on the problems in the economy, education and healthcare. She also called on the centre-right parties to join her party’s presidential project.

The leader of the Force of the Right, Ludovic Orban, on the other hand, believes the new election timetable is “a new attempt to gravely interfere with the results of the elections”. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians also criticised the timetable, saying the two parties changed the election dates they initially proposed “because they are afraid of George Simion”, the leader of the party.

Initially, the Liberals and the Social Democrats had agreed to hold the presidential elections in September, an idea mostly supported by the latter. The Liberals, however, changed their minds and proposed that the elections be held in November. The two parties failed to reach an agreement, which led to mutual attacks recenty, a fact unprecedented since they joined forces in government.

European and local elections were held in Romania on 9^th June.