Romania held its presidential runoff on Sunday (May 18th). Exit polls showed that centrist candidate and Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan was leading his opponent, right-wing candidate George Simion, but Simion refused to acknowledge the results of the exit polls.
According to the exit poll results, Bucharest mayor Dan’s vote share was between 54% and 55%. In the weeks leading up to the election, he had been trailing behind Simion in polls.
Simion had led the first round of voting on May 4th with around 40.6% of the vote, ahead of other candidates. Independent candidate Dan advanced to the runoff with approximately 21% of the vote.
Dan campaigned on promises to combat rampant corruption and to support the European Union, NATO, and Ukraine.
Following the release of the exit poll results, Dan stated that Romanian society had demonstrated impressive strength in the runoff held on Sunday.
“There will be a challenging period ahead, essential for the economic realignment to lay the foundation for a healthy society. Please hold on to hope and patience,” Dan told his supporters.
Simion is the founder of the Romanian right-wing party “Alliance for the Union of Romanians” (AUR). He opposes providing military aid to neighboring Ukraine, criticizes the EU leadership, and has expressed support for U.S. President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. Support for Simion surged among the public before Sunday’s election. Like many EU countries, Romania has seen a rise in anti-establishment sentiment, largely fueled by high inflation, living costs, substantial budget deficits, and economic downturn. Analysts note that this downturn has strengthened support for right-wing figures like Simion.
Simion rejected the results of the exit polls on Sunday. He claimed, based on his own vote count estimates, that he should have received 400,000 more votes than Dan.
“I won! I am the new president of Romania, and I will return power to the Romanian people!” Simion declared on Facebook.
With 87% of the votes counted, Dan continued to lead Simion.
Romania is a member of the EU and NATO, with its president holding considerable power, including overseeing the Defense Council responsible for determining military aid. The president also supervises foreign policy and has the authority to veto EU votes.