BUCHAREST : Farm Versus City

Romanians go to the polls Sunday to decide local runoff elections, which have so far provided a disturbing glimpse of the social conflict likely to mar national voting this spring.

As elsewhere in the Balkans, Romanians in urban areas appear more willing to let opposition candidates try their hand at public office, while rural voters continue to cling to ex-Communists and those promising slower and less painful reform. The urban-rural split also affects Bulgaria and Albania, pitting factory workers against farmers and sharpening the social divisions.

If Sunday’s voting for mayors, city council members and regional government offices follows the regional trend, spring balloting to choose a new prime minister could leave Romania more unsettled than ever.