BUCHAREST, Romania Associated Press —Romanians cast ballots Sunday in a parliamentary election sandwiched between a two-round presidential race, the first of which has plunged the European Union and NATO member into unprecedented turmoil following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference. By 5 p.m., about 7.5 million people – about 42% of eligible voters – had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, predicted the general election could also be reshaped by Georgescu’s success, with far-right parties possibly obtaining record highs. “The impact of the surprise in last Sunday’s presidential election will be significant, and we are going to wake up in a new political reality,” he told The Associated Press. Some have predicted that the far-right nationalist S.O.S Romania party, and the little-known Party of Young People, which has backed Georgescu, could pass the threshold.

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