BUCHAREST, Romania — In late 2016, a populis t pol itical party swept to power in Romania promising generous social spending, tax cuts and a continuation of the country’s alignment with the European Union, nine years after it had joined the bloc.

What followed was a cascade of corruption scandals and political chaos, with the government led by the Social Democrats running through three prime ministers and almost 100 ministers. The party’s leader was carted off to prison.

On Sunday, Romanian voters offered a verdict on the past almost three years: enough.

President Klaus Iohannis — who spent his first term battling with the successive governments of the governing party — garnered more than 60 percent of the votes, according to early results, a tally that signaled a strong rejection of a party that was big on promises but defined by scandal.

“I promise to be a president for all Romanians,” Mr. Iohannis, 60, said as the results came in. “The winner today is modern Romania, European Romania, the normal Romania.”