Romania - presidential runoff

Voters in recession-laden Romania choose a new President

Article published on the 2009-12-06 Latest update 2009-12-07 06:52 TU

Casting ballots at a polling station in Bucharest, 6 December 2009
(Photo: Radu Sigheti/Reuters)

Polls opened Sunday in Romania in the second round of the Presidential election, after a first round of voting two weeks ago. Voters are choosing between the incumbent centre-right Trajan Basescu of the ruling Democrat Liberal Party (PDL) and social-democrat Mircea Geoana. Whoever wins will have to quickly move to pull the country out of a severe recession, and salve months-long political turmoil.

Basescu has promised tough state reforms, while Geoana has campaigned on a platform of reuniting Romania after years of political infighting.

Geoana is the favourite in the run-off, with Romania’s third main political party, the PNL liberal party, throwing its support behind him, as well as the Hungarian minority UDMR party. He and Basescu came in almost even in the first round, with Basescu at 32.44 per cent, and Geoana at 31.15.

The winner will have to quickly appoint a Prime Minister, to replace the caretaker government that has been running the country since October.

And then they will have to tackle the recession. The International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the World Bank agreed in March on a 20 billion euro bail-out plan, which includes urgent spending cuts.

Polls close at 9pm local time, and first official results are expected Monday morning.