Romanian right-wing parties join efforts ahead of EU elections

The leaders of Romania’s right-wing parties, USR, Forta Dreptei and PMP, have submitted their candidacy for the upcoming European elections in June. In doing so, they challenge the country’s governing alliance, PSD-PNL. 

Polls are suggesting that the United Right Alliance is trailing behind the main centre-left group.

“The vote on 9 June is decisive because it can give the signal of the will to change, that the country does not belong to the tribes that have taken over the state, but belongs to the citizens,” Ludovic Orban, the president of Forta Dreptei, said. ​

The alliance has already presented its first eight candidates: former USR president Dan Barna, former Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu, MEP Eugen Tomac, MEP Vlad Botoș, Cristina Prună, Violeta Alexandru, Radu Mihail, and Corina Atanasiu.

The USR has gathered about 15% of support in recent polls. Forța Dreptei and PMP have around 1% each.

According to local polls, the new alliance could win as many as six seats in the upcoming European elections on 9 June. In addition, the bloc said it could potentially run joint candidates in internal elections in Romania throughout the year.