Radio Netherlands: Romania: Social Democrats win Romanian elections

For the complete report from Radio Netherlands click on this linkRomania: Social Democrats win Romanian elections

The Romanian parliamentary elections have been won by the Social Democratic opposition party PSD. Voters cast their ballots for both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The PSD has taken about 35 percent of the seats in both houses of parliament. President Traian Basescu's conservative PDL-L party won about 31 percent of the votes; Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu's ruling Liberal Democratic PNL party won 20 percent. Observers say the formation of a coalition government could be a long and difficult process. Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007, has been hit hard by the financial crisis and tens of thousands of people could lose their jobs. During the election campaign, the Social Democrats tried to capitalise on these problems by promising tax cuts and benefits for the poor.