Romania's Klaus Iohannis wins second presidential election runoff

Romania'scentrist President KlausIohanniswon apresidentialelection runoff on Sunday as expected, crushing his socialist challenger with apledgeto resume judicial reforms slowed down by successive Social Democrat (PSD) governments.

Two separate exit polls showedIohannisgarnered 64 per cent-67per centof the vote, with former prime minister Viorica Dancila of the left-leaning PSD taking 33-36 per cent.

"The winner today is modern Romania, European Romania, normal Romania,"Iohannistold reporters in his victory speech.

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Under a succession of PSD governments, Romania, a European Union member state, has rolled back anti-corruption measures in recent years. Along with ex-communist peers Poland and Hungary, it has been heavily criticized by Brussels for its actions.

However, 60-year-oldIohannishas been credited by Western allies and the European Union with trying to protect theruleoflaw, in particular by challenging attempts to limit judges' independence.

The president's powers are mostly limited to nominating a prime minister on the basis of who can command a majority, challenginglaws in the Constitutional Court, and appointing some chief prosecutors.

Lohannisis expected to install anti-graft and anti-mafia prosecutors who are serious about tackling endemic corruption with the backing of Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, who became head of a liberal minority government by winning a parliamentary vote of confidence three weeks ago.

Teacher Andreea Mihai, 50, said "things should slowly return to normality. Both Orban andIohanniswill work together in the same direction."

Dancila's PSD had increased the burden of proof in corruption cases, reorganized panels of judges and set up a special unit to investigate magistrates for potential abuses, a move widely seen as an instrument of political coercion.

Romania'sjudicial reforms have been monitored by Brussels since it joined the EU in 2007; in October, Brussels said the reforms were going backward.

Lohannis, a soft-spoken ethnic German and former mayor of Sibiu, became president in 2014.

He helped to secure popular approval in a referendum last May that called for the government to be banned from altering legislation by emergency decrees and advocated a ban on amnesties and pardons for graft-related crimes.

Data fromRomania'selection commission, which is expected to announce partial official results on Monday, showed a turnout of about 50 per cent, with a record 920,000 voters from the country's diaspora taking part.