With over 96 percent of the votes counted, the EU-friendly PSD is leading with 23.5 percent.
The Romanians have sent an important signal to the politicians, says Romania's Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party leader Marcel Ciolacu.
At the same time, the right is making strong progress in the country, which has been governed since 2021 by a coalition between the Social Democratic PSD and the conservative PNL, where the liberal UDMR also previously participated.
The far-right AUR received 17.9 percent of the votes.
This is the beginning of a new era where the Romanian people are taking back the right to determine their own destiny, says party leader George Simion.
All far-right parties together have more than 30 percent, a significant increase compared to the 2020 election when they received 10 percent.
The far-right's success has raised concerns in the West about a potential shift in Romania's foreign policy, which is a member of both the EU and NATO and borders Ukraine.
Sunday's parliamentary election concerns all 330 seats in the lower house (the Chamber of Deputies) and all 136 in the upper house (the Senate). The voter turnout, 52 percent, was the highest in 20 years according to the preliminary figures.
