Romania election: Centrist Nicuşor Dan defeats far-right rival in presidential vote
The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, is set to win
Romania
's pivotal presidential election with 99 per cent of votes counted, according to official figures showing the pro-EU independent eight points clear of his far-right rival, George Simion.
Mr Simion conceded early on Monday, after earlier claiming he had won the election. 'We may have lost a battle, but we will certainly not lose the war,' he posted on X.
The figures from Romania's central election authority showed Mr Dan, who had cast the second round vote as a battle between 'a pro-western and an anti-western Romania', on 54.2 per cent, while Mr Simion, a self-professed Trump admirer, had 45.8 per cent.
The capital's two-term mayor, who made his name fighting corrupt property developers, said voters seeking 'profound change, functioning state institutions, less corruption, a prosperous economy and a society of dialogue, not hate, have won'.
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Sergiu Mișcoiu, a political scientist, predicted protests but said that, with several percentage points between the results, it was 'hard to believe he'd [Mr Simion] be able to challenge them'.
Mr Simion's supporters had received messages on Sunday evening telling them to protest 'if the fraud continues' and calling for a 'national protest' on Monday 'if they try to steal the victory of the Romanian people'.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, congratulated Mr Dan on his 'historic victory', writing on social media: 'For Ukraine – as a neighbour and friend – it is important to have Romania as a reliable partner.'
The voting in Romania took place on the same day as the first round of a
Polish
election in which a liberal front-runner, Rafal Trzaskowski, edged ahead of Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by the opposition nationalist Law and Justice party.
In
Portugal
, meanwhile, the far-right Chega party took a record 22 per cent of the vote and tied for second place in parliamentary elections that were won by the incumbent centre-right Democratic Alliance party, although it remained far short of a majority.
All three elections are being closely watched across Europe amid concern that popular anger with mainstream elites over migration and cost-of-living pressures could erode unity on the Continent.
Analysts have described the Romanian election as the most important in the country's post-communist history, with significant implications for the country's strategic orientation and economic prospects as well as for European Union unity.
Mr Simion won the May 4th first round, triggering the collapse of Romania's government of centre-left Social Democrats and centre-right Liberals (PNL). The new president will nominate the next prime minister and influence the formation of a new coalition.
The former soccer ultra and ultranationalist agitator, who sees his far-right AUR party as a 'natural ally' of the US Maga movement, scored almost double his rival's total, but polls in recent days had shown the gap between the two narrowing.
Turnout, which was 53 per cent in the first round, was almost 65 per cent, with young people and Romanians living abroad in particular voting in significantly higher numbers, official figures showed. Analysts had said a high turnout would favour Mr Dan.
The vote is a rerun of last November's ballot, won by Călin Georgescu, a far-right, Moscow-friendly firebrand, who was barred from standing again after the vote was cancelled amid allegations of campaign finance violations and Russian meddling.
The Romanian foreign ministry said earlier on Sunday it had seen 'a viral campaign of fake news on Telegram and other social media platforms' designed 'to influence the electoral process', adding that this bore 'the hallmarks of Russian interference'.
Mr Simion had promised to nominate Mr Georgescu, who is under formal investigation on counts including misreporting campaign spending, illegal use of digital technology and promoting fascist groups, as prime minister if he became president.
Mr Dan (55) had campaigned on a pledge to fight rampant corruption, to maintain support for Ukraine – where Romania has played an important logistic role – and to keep the country firmly within the European mainstream.
He is backed by the Union to Save Romania (USR), a pro-EU, anti-corruption party that he co-founded, and was endorsed by the PNL. He is thought likely to nominate a USR prime minister and try to form a minority government, possibly backed by the PNL.
Addressing his jubilant supporters in central Bucharest, he said he would start talks on forming a new government on Monday but acknowledged his job would be hard. 'There will be a difficult period ahead, needed for economic rebalancing,' he said. 'Please have hope and patience.'
Mr Simion opposed further aid to Ukraine and had sharply criticised the EU's leadership. While he insisted he wants Romania to stay in the EU and Nato, he could have allied with Hungary's Viktor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico as another disruptive force. – Guardian
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