June 9, 2024

Romania is holding both local and European parliamentary elections; voting is also underway across the EU, on the final day of the European elections.

Newsroom, 09.06.2024, 13:19

Romania elections. European and local elections are taking place today in Romania. Almost 19,000 voting stations have been set up in Romania for the country’s around 19 million voters. Voting started at 7 am and will end at 10 pm and by 6 pm, more than 40% of voters had already cast their ballots in the local elections and over 38% in the European elections. According to the Permanent Electoral Authority, a total of more than 207,000 candidates are running in the local and European elections. The two largest parties in Romania, the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, which are also in government together, have joint candidates for the European Parliament, where Romania is represented by 33 MEPs. The ruling coalition’s main rivals are the United Right Alliance (formed by the Save Romania Union, the People’s Movement Party and the Force of the Right), the populist and ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. A record 915 voting stations were set up abroad for Romanian voters wishing to cast their ballots for the European elections, mostly in Italy, Spain and Great Britain, countries with large ethnic Romanian communities. Some 153,000 people had voted abroad by 6 pm, Romania time. The foreign ministry recalls that Romanian citizens who have the right to vote and who reside or are temporarily abroad on election day can cast their vote at any Romanian voting station abroad based on a valid Romanian ID card. It’s a busy election year in Romania in 2024, with presidential and parliamentary elections to come next, in September and December, respectively.

European elections. Today is the final day of voting for the European parliamentary elections, which were held between the 6^th and the 9^th of June across the European Union countries. Voting began in The Netherlands on Thursday, and voters in Ireland, Czechia, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia have already cast their ballots. In Italy, voting began on Saturday and continues today. Around 370 million Europeans have a right to vote in these elections to elect 720 members of the next European Parliament, 15 more members than at the previous European elections, but fewer than pre-Brexit. What’s at stake in these elections, among others, are the European Parliament’s political make-up and its position on the war in Ukraine, including on military support. The BBC notes that far-right parties have made significant inroads in Europe in recent years, including among young people voting for the first time.

Poll. The protection of the environment, nature and climate ranks 8^th on the Romanians’ societal priority list, with only 26% of respondents prioritising environmental matters according to the findings of a survey conducted by the Friedrich-Ebert Romania Foundation. 59% of Romanian respondents prioritised health and 53% education. By comparison, the average in all 19 countries polled place health in the number one spot, with 56%, and environmental issues on the fourth spot, with 36%. Romania is the only country among those polled where the state of the forests is of greatest concern among the environmental issues identified. Romanians are also concerned about air pollution. The survey was conducted in 19 countries in Europe and North America, using a sample of 1,200 respondents aged between 18 and 69 from each country.

Mini-football. Defending world minifootball champions Romania lost to Serbia 10-9 at penalty shootouts on Saturday in the final of the European Minifootball Championship hosted by Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The two sides were tied at 1-all after the end of regular time. In the 3^rd place match, Kazakhstan defeated France 7-2. Romania have six European championship titles to their record.