Runoff Presidential Election Underway in Romania Amid Intense Clash Between Far-Right and Pro-European Candidates

Runoff Presidential Election Underway in Romania Amid Intense Clash Between Far-Right and Pro-European Candidates

[Bucharest, Romania] – According to an AP report, Romanian citizens are casting their votes on Sunday in a tense presidential runoff election, where far-right nationalist George Simion faces off against pro-European centrist and current Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan. This high-stakes election is expected to play a crucial role in determining the geopolitical direction of the European Union (EU) and NATO member state.

George Simion, 38, leads the far-right "Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR)" party, while 55-year-old Nicușor Dan, a pro-EU candidate who emerged from a democratic movement, is his main rival. The country is holding a re-vote after the Supreme Court annulled the previous election due to alleged electoral irregularities and Russian interference, plunging Romania into its worst political crisis in decades.

Voting began at 7 a.m. local time and will continue until 9 p.m. (1800 GMT). Within the first two hours of voting, over 1.7 million people—approximately 9.5% of eligible voters—had already cast their ballots. Romanians living abroad began voting at special polling stations starting Friday, with more than 750,000 votes already recorded.

Appearing at a Bucharest polling station alongside Călin Georgescu on Sunday, Simion said, "We have voted against oppression and poverty. We voted against those who look down on us."

He added, "I voted for a future determined by Romanians and for Romanians alone. May God help us!"

Recent polls indicate the race is extremely close, although earlier surveys had Simion in the lead. Dan, a civic activist and leader of a pro-democracy movement, stated, "I voted for Romanians who are calm, honest, hardworking, and who have long felt unrepresented."

He continued, "I voted for a change that will bring prosperity, not instability. I voted for a European direction and strong cooperation with the EU—not isolation."

After finishing fourth in the previously annulled election, Simion endorsed Călin Georgescu, who was later disqualified from running. In the first round of voting held on May 4, Simion emerged as the front-runner with the highest number of votes.

Simion has campaigned for reunification with Moldova and pledged to reduce bureaucracy, lower taxes, and implement administrative reforms. However, his top priority is to “restore democracy by returning power to the people.”

The AUR party advocates for “family, nation, faith, and freedom,” and rose to prominence during the 2020 parliamentary elections. It is currently the second-largest party in Romania’s parliament.

In the first round, 61% of the diaspora voters cast their ballots for Simion. Shortly after voting began on Friday, Simion accused the Moldovan government of electoral fraud—a claim that was promptly denied by authorities in both Romania and Moldova.