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The centre-left coalition of Prime Minister Victor Ponta is projected to win Romania's general election.

Exit polls gave his Social Liberal Union (USL) about 57% of the vote, as compared with just 19% for President Traian Basescu's Right Romania Alliance (ARD).
Mr Ponta said: "This is a clear victory with an absolute majority."
But he will have to share power with Mr Basescu, whose term runs until 2014. Official results are not expected until Monday. Mr Ponta and Mr Basescu have been locked in a power struggle since Mr Ponta came to power in April following the collapse of the previous centre-right government.
The two men have argued over control of state television and the Romanian Cultural Institute and attempts to draw up a new electoral law. Political decision-making has at times been paralysed.
In July, Mr Ponta suspended Mr Basescu and tried to impeach him. But a referendum failed to meet the required turnout.
Mr Basescu hinted before the election that he might refuse to re-appoint Mr Ponta as prime minister. He has described him as a "mythomaniac"....Mr Basescu's popularity has plummeted since he introduced stringent austerity measures and a 25 per cent cut in pub lic sector pay. The country, together with neighbour Bulgaria, are under special EU monitoring because of concerns about judicial independence, corruption and political influence in state institutions. Romania is trying to negotiate a new loan from the IMF to replace the existing one which expires early next year.

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s center-left government won a clear victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, according to exit polls. The result could inflame the personal rivalry between the nation’s top two officials and bring yet more political upheaval. The prime minister’s governing alliance had about 57 percent of seats in the 452-seat legislature, according to a poll published after elections on national television TVR. Coming in second was a center-right group, allied to President Traian Basescu, which polled over 18 percent. A populist party headed by a media tycoon won about 13 percent, according to the poll. First results are expected Monday. Basescu and Ponta are bitter rivals after the government tried to remove Basescu from office in an impeachment vote in July, a bid that failed as too few people voted to make the election valid. Basescu has indicated he won’t appoint the 40-year-old Ponta again, calling him a “compulsive liar” and saying he plagiarized his doctoral thesis. Ponta says Basescu is a divisive figure who overstepped his role as president by meddling in government business. As he voted, Basescu again accused the government of the former communist country of failing to devote itself to democratic reforms. He said Romania must continue its “path toward the West” and show the world it is “headed toward Brussels, not Moscow, and Washington, not Beijing.” For his part, Ponta said he remains committed to leading Romania to a better future. Many Romanians are fed up with the power struggle between the top two leaders, especially as the country remains one of the poorest and most corrupt members of the European Union. Romania is enduring deep austerity cuts in return for a €20 million ($26 million) bailout to help its foundering economy. Sunday’s vote was hampered by heavy snow and authorities asked the army and the defense ministry to help clear roads closed by blizzards. About 250 polling stations were prevented from opening on time, officials said. Turnout was more than 30 percent three hours before the polls closed.

 

IN EUROPE: Italy faces a return to political chaos - IN FACT , ITALY WANTS OUT FROM UNDER THE GERMAN BOOT - after Prime Minister Mario Monti announced at the weekend that he will resign, prompting his notorious predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to say he would attempt a comeback. The renewed uncertainty sent European shares into a slump as trading for the week began on Monday morning. Investors aren't the only ones worried, either. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told SPIEGEL ONLINE on Monday that the situation in Italy threatened to spark renewed financial problems in the euro zone. "Italy can't stall at two-thirds of the reform process," he said. "That wouldn't cause turbulence for just Italy, but also for Europe." Westerwelle's concerns were echoed by Klaus Regling, the head of the permanent euro-zone bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), who told German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on Monday that he feared the heavily indebted country could abandon necessary reforms. "In the last year Italy has pushed through important reforms," he told the paper. "So far, the markets have honored that, although they have reacted with concern to the developments of recent weeks." The reform process must continue for the sake of both Italy and the entire currency union, Regling said. BERLUSCONI SHOUL GET iTALY OUT OF THE FOURTH REICH !!!!