What a difference a year makes!<br /><br /> Romania’s leftist Social Democrats (PSD) have won Sunday’s parliamentary election, with over 45 percent of the vote.<br /><br /> Promises of more money in people’s pockets paid off – reviving the fortunes of a party that was driven from office just over 12 months ago by anti-corruption protesters.<br /><br /> Its leader Liviu Dragnea, 54, now naturally wants to be prime minister. The problem is that he was convicted of electoral fraud earlier this year and given a two-year suspended jail term.<br /><br /> And despite Dragnea proclaiming his readiness to serve – ‘I am not playing when it comes to this vote’ he told reporters – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, a liberal, has said he won’t accept any candidate with a criminal past.<br /><br /> Five takeaways from Romania’s parliamentary electionRead more: https://t.co/u269yWF6mu #Romania #Elections2016 pic.twitter.com/SZ3JAkKDHh— Chris Harris (@lyonanglais) 12 décembre 2016<br /><br /> Official results on Monday showed the PSD party won more than 45 percent of the vote and its junior ally ALDE took around 6 percent, securing a combined outright majority.<br /><br /> The PSD were forced from power in November 2015 amid public anger over a deadly fire in a nightclub that lacked emergency exits and safety permits.<br /><br /> Protests over corruption and politicians’ failure to stamp out abuses multiplied.<br /><br /> For the past year, the country has been run by a technocrat government of experts who have succeeded in accelerating anti-corruption reforms, drawing praise from Brussels.<br />
