Romania's New President Nicusor Dan Is A Math Prodigy With 2 Olympiad Gold, PhD From Paris
Romania has elected mathematician-turned-politician Nicusor Dan as its new president, delivering a clear victory over hard-right nationalist George Simion in a high-stakes runoff election. The 55-year-old secured 54% of the vote, according to AFP, in what is being seen as a strong endorsement of Romania's pro-European Union trajectory and a rejection of far-right, isolationist politics.
Dan, currently serving as the Mayor of Bucharest, is no stranger to success. Long before he entered politics, he was recognised as a math prodigy, winning two consecutive gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 1987 and 1988.
Notably, he achieved a perfect score of 42 both years, a feat that placed him among the world's top young mathematicians at the time.
Following his Olympiad triumphs, Dan studied mathematics at the University of Bucharest before pursuing advanced degrees in France.
He holds a master's from the prestigious Ecole Normale Superieure and a PhD from Paris 13 University. After returning home, he emerged as a prominent civil activist, known for his campaigns against illegal urban development.
His political rise has been closely tied to a promise of reform and transparency. In his victory speech, Dan said, "Reconstruction begins on Monday," calling the win a "moment of hope" for the country, which borders war-torn Ukraine and is a member of both the EU and NATO.
With his academic brilliance and reformist agenda, Dan's presidency marks a shift in Romania's political narrative - one that blends intellectual rigour with a pro-European vision.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Markets with Bertie: The upsides of Liberation Day
Last week, Bertie found himself in Delhi meeting bureaucrats, journalists and politicians of all stripes. In the formal sessions, political correctness reigned, but Bertie has been doing policy trips long enough to know that the real juice starts flowing only during the cocktail hour. Unsurprisingly, President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs and how soon India could do a trade deal were the centrepiece of discussions. Bertie was told in hushed tones that the American trade negotiators were staying in the same hotel as the policy tour participants, as if physical proximity to them would also mean a faster flow of information. This, thought Bertie, was taking the concept of co-location too far, but it did make him peer at every Westerner at the hotel a few seconds longer than he normally would in the hope of guessing who the constituents of the negotiating party were. Also read: Donald Trump warns of 'economic ruination' if courts block his tariff authority In the evening, a small informal group gathered around a former senior bureaucrat, where again the topic of tariffs came up. The general tone was one of ruefulness, with some members of the group lamenting the spectre of lower export growth from India and a possible increase in unemployment. The old bureaucrat took all this in but, in his famous measured tone, countered that it was not all gloom and doom. 'There is a silver lining. Pretty big one at that." The chatter at the table died down, and an air of anticipation hung. The former mandarin did not disappoint. 'Trade barriers in India have been going up for the past few years. There is a reason why the US President calls us tariff king." Everyone agreed that tariffs had indeed been going up. The bureaucrat tilted his head slightly towards a few Americans hanging at the bar and said, 'If the deal means that tariff barriers come down, if not completely, at least in line with the rest of the world, that would be an important reform." There were thoughtful nods around the table. Also read: 'Provide your best offer…': Trump admin pushes countries to seal the trade deal as tariff deadline looms The official went on to highlight the second silver lining. 'Everyone is talking to us, and we are talking to everyone for a trade deal." He explained that these deals had been meandering through a thicket of red tape on both sides for years, but if US actions injected a sense of urgency in these negotiations, it would be a welcome change. 'We could have an agreement with EU (the European Union) within a year. Who would have thought?" he said happily. 'And finally, we might save some foreign exchange," he said with a twinkle in the eye. 'If the US President stops Ivy League colleges from taking in foreign students, we might save some dollars." Bertie, who has no kids, guffawed at this but wasn't joined by the group of his middle-aged peers whose kids' American dreams were now under a cloud. Every silver lining, Bertie thought, has a cloud. Also read: Trump says Xi agreed to restart the flow of rare earth minerals. Why are rare earths important for Chinese economy?
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'They spit, we hit': Trump says LA 'invaded and occupied' by illegal migrants, orders 'to set it free'
Violent protests over immigration enforcement shook Los Angeles over the weekend, prompting a strong federal response. President Trump vowed to 'liberate' the city from a 'migrant invasion' and restore order. read more 'They spit, we hit': Trump says LA 'invaded and occupied' by illegal migrants, orders 'to set it free'. Image: AFP US President Donald Trump has pledged to 'liberate Los Angeles from the migrant invasion' following violent clashes between the state National Guard and anti-immigration enforcement protesters. Posting on Truth Social, the president said 'the illegals will be expelled' and the city would be 'set free,' as troops used tear gas and less-lethal weapons to break up crowds in downtown LA. 'A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals,' the president wrote. 'Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations, But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump said that he is directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots. 'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Tensions rose throughout Sunday, continuing from the unrest the night before. Images showed vehicles burning and protesters throwing fireworks at armed, helmeted officers. Police and protesters faced off outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA, where buildings were spray-painted with slogans like 'f****** ICE' and 'f****** LAPD.' By Sunday afternoon, the LAPD put the city on 'tactical alert.' Later, police declared an unlawful assembly in part of the city, issued a dispersal order, and began making arrests.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Freedom Flotilla Coalition says aid vessel approaching Gaza-bound ship left
A vessel that was approaching Freedom Flotilla Coalition's Gaza-bound charity ship the Madleen has left, the coalition said early on Monday (June 9, 2025), after an alarm was sounded on the ship warning of a possible interception. Hours earlier, the Israeli Defence Minister Israeli Katz said he told the military to stop the boat carrying activists including Sweden's Greta Thunberg and a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade. The coalition posted on its Telegram account a voice memo of Thiago Avila, one of the activists onboard, saying 'we have been surrounded by many lights all at once; they were circling our boat but in the end they kept going their own way.' Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the British-flagged Madleen boat is currently off the Egyptian coast, heading slowly towards the Gaza Strip, which is besieged by Israel. On Sunday (June 8, 2025) Israel ordered its military to stop the humanitarian ship carrying activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, breaking the blockade of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. 'I have instructed the military to prevent the Madleen flotilla from reaching Gaza,' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. 'Turn back because you will not reach Gaza,' Mr Katz added, calling the activists 'Hamas propaganda mouthpieces'. The Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left Italy on June 1 with the aim of delivering aid and challenging the Israeli blockade, which has been in place for years even before the Israel-Hamas war since October 2023. Organisers said Saturday (June 7, 2025) the vessel had entered Egyptian waters and was nearing Gaza, where the war has entered its 21st month. 'We are not armed. There is only humanitarian aid,' European Parliament member Rima Hassan told AFP from the boat, vowing to 'stay mobilised until the last minute'. The coalition said in a statement on X it expected 'interception and an attack from Israel at any moment', calling for protection from the governments of those on board, who are nationals of Germany, France, Brazil, Turkiye, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands. Mr Katz said that 'Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade of Gaza, which is aimed at preventing weapons from reaching Hamas — a murderous terrorist group holding our hostages and committing war crimes.' 'Risked their lives' for food Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal and witnesses said the civilians had been heading to a site west of Rafah, in southern Gaza, run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The GHF has come under criticism from humanitarian agencies and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Witness Abdallah Nour al-Din told AFP that 'people started gathering in the Al-Alam area of Rafah' in the early morning. 'After about an hour and a half, hundreds moved toward the site and the army opened fire,' he said. The Israeli military said it fired on people who 'continued advancing in a way that endangered the soldiers' despite warnings. The GHF said in a statement there had been no incidents 'at any of our three sites' on Sunday (June 8, 2025). It said it had distributed more than a million meals, including more than 6,00,000 through a trial of 'direct to community distribution' via 'community leaders'. Outside Nasser Hospital, where the emergency workers brought the casualties, AFPTV footage showed mourners crying over blood-stained body bags. 'I can't see you like this,' said Lin al-Daghma by her father's body. She spoke of the struggle to access food aid after more than two months of a total Israeli blockade of Gaza, despite a recent easing. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to the civil defence agency. At a charity kitchen in Gaza City, displaced Palestinian Umm Ghassan told AFP she had been unable to collect aid from a GHF site 'because there were so many people, and there was a lot of shooting. I was afraid to go in, but there were people who risked their lives for their children and families'.
