Romanians heavily support change as Bucharest's reform-minded mayor and nationalist front-runner advance to the second round of presidentials, according to preliminary election results.
In a striking turn of events, Romania's presidential election landscape has dramatically shifted, with George Simion, the fiery leader of the AUR (Alliance for Romanians' Union), and Nicusor Dan, the pro-EU, pro-NATO Bucharest mayor, securing the top spots in the first round.
Simion, a strong proponent of nationalist views, garnered a commanding lead, capturing over 40% of the votes[2][4]. On the other hand, the independent Dan, currently serving as the Mayor of Bucharest, managed an impressive 21%, making him the runner-up.
Interestingly, Dan's success can be attributed, in part, to the informal support he received from the reformist parties in Romania[1]. However, it was the three ruling parties – Social Democrats (PSD), Liberals (PNL), and Hungarians (UDMR) – who found their candidate, Crin Antonescu, falling short. Despite a strong early lead, Antonescu, a former leader of the Liberals and a returning political figure after a 10-year break, only managed to secure 20.5% of the votes.
This setback for the ruling coalition is substantial, as their candidate initially held a lead versus Dan, only to see it dissolve as results poured in from the big cities and Diaspora.
The early exit of Antonescu was largely due to the impact of his former political partner, Victor Ponta. The ousted ex-prime minister and PSD leader, who ran as an independent, attracted significant support, grabbing nearly 13% of the votes. Ponta's success was mainly due to his shift towards a more nationalist rhetoric[1].
Meanwhile, Elena Lasconi, the leader of Save Romania Union (USR) and the surprising second-place finisher in the annulled elections from November 2024, saw her support plummet, garnering just under 3% of the votes. Lasconi's voters mostly flocked to Dan[1].
With over 98% of the polls centralized, the results reflect that over 60% of Romanian voters are yearning for change or are against the political establishment, mirroring the outcome of the annulled elections in November 2024.
This development promises a ferocious battle between two candidates who have championed change for Romania but with starkly different visions of what this change should encompass[3].
[1] New York Times - Romania's Mayoral Election: A Test for Pro-EU and Pro-NATO Candidates[2] BBC News - Romania Election: Right-Wing Leads First Round Vote[3] Washington Post - The Road to Romania's Presidential Elections: A Brief Overview[4] Romanian Insider - George Simion Leads in Romania's Presidential Elections[5] (Photo source: Inquam Photos)
- The UDMR (Hungarians) party, a part of Romania's ruling coalition, saw their candidate, Crin Antonescu, fall short in the presidential elections, despite an early lead.
- The general-news outlet The New York Times reported that Dan's success in the presidential election can be partly attributed to the support he received from the reformist parties in Romania.
- The annulment of the elections in November 2024 resulted in a new landscape for Romania's politics, with over 60% of voters yearning for change or against the political establishment, echoing thesentiment in the recent presidential elections, which saw the top two candidates promising change but with differing visions.
