Romania’s pro-Western parties agree to form a majority government after political turmoil

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania’s pro-European parties agreed to form a majority government made up of groupings that were traditionally on opposite sides and shutting out far-right nationalists who made significant gains in the election on Dec. 1. The leftist Social Democratic Party will now form a government with parties representing the center-right, the Hungarian minority and a reformist alliance. On Nov. 24, far-right outsider Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election, plunging Romania into turmoil as allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the Dec. 8 runoff, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the vote. A date for the rerun election will be set once the new government takes office.