George Simion, the pro-Russian replacement candidate for Calin Georgescu, who was briefly detained, won a clear majority of the votes.

In the repeat of last year’s annulled presidential election in Romania, right-wing politician George Simion has achieved a clear victory. With 40 percent of the vote on Sunday, Simion was clearly ahead of his rivals – but fell short of an absolute majority. This means that a runoff election will be held on May 18, in which Simion is expected to face the liberal-conservative and independent mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan. According to the Central Election Office, Dan was in second place with 20.91 percent.

The new vote had become necessary after Romania’s Supreme Court annulled the November 2024 presidential election due to alleged foreign interference, primarily from Russia. The winner of that election, pro-Russian right-wing politician Călin Georgescu, was excluded from the new election. George Simion then took over and entered the race as the clear favorite.

Simion, known for his nationalist rhetoric, described himself as “MAGA President of Romania,” in reference to Donald Trump’s slogan. He also modeled his style on his American role model and focused his campaign heavily on social media, particularly to mobilize voters from the Romanian diaspora.

Simion clearly against further military aid for Ukraine

During the election campaign, Simion repeatedly spoke out against further military aid to Ukraine and accused the EU of illegally interfering in Romanian affairs. He called the annulment of the first election a “coup” and attacked TikTok and “Western elites” in particular for allegedly influencing the election. The EU Commission did indeed launch proceedings against TikTok, but for spreading Russian disinformation in favor of right-wing candidates.

In the months leading up to the election, there were nationwide protests in which tens of thousands of Romanians took to the streets to protest the annulment of the original election results. To avoid renewed unrest, the government announced maximum transparency for the new election and worked closely with international platforms to prevent attempts at manipulation.

Right-wing groups nevertheless claimed immediately before the election date that there were indications of electoral fraud – the government dismissed this as a targeted disinformation campaign.

Symbolic office with political weight

Even though the office of president in Romania is primarily ceremonial, the head of state wields considerable influence in foreign policy and in the appointment of government members. The runoff election on May 18 is therefore likely to set the course for Romania’s political future, particularly with regard to its relations with the EU, NATO, and Ukraine.

Whether George Simion will win the highest office in the country with his nationalist populist agenda will be decided in two weeks. Until then, the tone of the election campaign is likely to become even more heated.

Image:
Presidential candidate George Simion (left) speaks to the media during the first round of the repeat presidential election alongside Calin Georgescu, the winner of the first round of last year’s annulled election.

Credit: APA