By Luiza Ilie and Elizaveta Gladun
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu faced calls to resign on Monday after a far-right opposition leader won the first round of the presidential election re-run, heightening political uncertainty in the country.
Hard-right eurosceptic George Simion decisively swept the ballot, with some 41% of votes, and will face Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, an independent centrist, in a May 18 run-off. A ruling coalition candidate, Crin Antonescu came third.
A Simion victory could isolate Romania, erode private investment and destabilise NATO’s eastern flank, where Bucharest plays a key role in providing logistical support to Ukraine as it fights a three-year-old Russian invasion, political observers say.
It would also expand a cohort of eurosceptic leaders in the European Union that already includes the Hungarian and Slovak prime ministers at a time when Europe is struggling to formulate its response to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Several members of the ruling Liberal and Social Democrat (PSD) parties said the government was no longer viable.
“It is very clear that there must be a government without Marcel Ciolacu because he no longer has legitimacy,” Liberal senior executive and lawmaker Robert Sighiartau told reporters outside party headquarters in Bucharest.
Coalition officials are expected to meet later on Monday.
Ciolacu rejected the idea of resigning when asked by reporters on Sunday night.
“The Social Democrats and the Liberals are in a very tight spot,” said Cristian Pirvulescu, a political scientist. “Even if this coalition continues, it will not do so for long, and the risk of fractures within both parties is very high.”
The vote underscores simmering anger among vast parts of the Romanian electorate over high living costs and worries over security.
Sunday’s vote came five months after a first attempt to hold the election was canceled because of alleged Russian interference in favour of far-right frontrunner Calin Georgescu, since banned from standing again.
Simion has said he could appoint Georgescu prime minister should he win.
Romanian debt yields jumped 37 basis points to 7.87% after the election, LSEG Workspace data showed.
(Editing by Justyna Pawlak and Alexandra Hudson)
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