Exit polls: Nicușor Dan leads in Romania's crucial presidential vote
Romanian exit polls project independent candidate Nicusor Dan in the lead with around 54% of the national votes and hard-right candidate George Simion with around 45%, in the cliffhanger Romanian presidential election that has transfixed and polarised the country.
However, all is still in play due to the projection nature of exit polls and the unprecedented diaspora votes, which are not factored into these projections and could therefore still decide the race in which over 11 million Romanians voted (64% turnout).
Avangarde projects Dan winning 54,9% of the votes and Simion 45,0%, while Curs projects Dan at 54,10% and Simion at 45,9%. The margin of error is 2%.
According to the exit polls' national projections by pollsters Avangarde and Curs published by Euronews Romania, NATO's Eastern flank country chose the pro-EU, pro-NATO candidate in a massive turnout marked by fear and resentment, overturning Simion's lead in the first round.
But the voting trend of the last hours may still affect these projections, setting the stage for a dramatic election night in what most Romanians see as the most crucial vote in their post-communist history.
Also, the relativity of exit poll projections in previous elections, another sign of the hard-fought presidential election battle in the bitterly polarised Romania, means that the official count and the diaspora vote results will now grip Romania for the next hours until the final official result is announced.
The Avangarde pollster sociologists noticed a larger voting presence in the big cities, which tend to favour Dan, and lower participation in the countryside and smaller towns, where the big parties' electorate does not have a candidate.
In the last hours of the voting, the Romanian foreign, interior and defence ministries denounced what they called 'Russian interference,' warning voters about a fake news campaign rolled out on Telegram, TikTok and other social media platforms.
The Romanian foreign ministry spokesperson Andrei Tarnea said on X Sunday that 'once again we see the distinctive signs of Russian interference (…) to influence the electoral process.
"This was expected," he added.
In a coordinated move, the three ministries revealed that a fake video published on Sunday 'falsely claims that French troops in Romania secretly wear Romanian gendarmerie uniforms to intervene internally,' has been linked directly to Russia.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed that he refused a request from 'a Western country', which he didn't name, to 'silence' the conservative voices in Romania.
'Telegram will not restrict the liberties of Romanian users, nor will it block their political channels', Durov said.
Follow Euronews Romania's live coverage of the presidential election repeat's runoff here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Europe's troubled waters: Does EU Ocean Pact meet the challenge?
Europe 12:04 Issued on: From the show Europe is trying to put itself at the forefront of the global ocean agenda, releasing its Ocean Pact ahead of a United Nations Oceans Conference in the French coastal city of Nice. More than 90 percent of EU marine waters are overexploited by industrial fishing, seabed mining and growing offshore infrastructure, according to Seas At Risk, an association of environmental organisations from across Europe. And yet, healthy oceans are the precondition for breathing healthy air, ensuring sustainable food supplies and securing energy independence – as more of our electricity is set to come from the sea. With oceans being so interconnected with so much else in our lives, it's not surprising that MEPs are saying the EU should give its ocean policy higher priority, and lead by example at UNOC in Nice. We discuss what's at stake with two MEPs.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
EU backs 'cornerstone of international justice' after US sanctions ICC judges
The EU gave its backing on Friday to the International Criminal Court after Washington imposed sanctions on four ICC judges, and EU member Slovenia said it would push Brussels to use its power to ensure the US sanctions could not be enforced in Europe. EU member France also said it was renewing its call on the US to withdraw all sanctions against the court. 'The ICC holds perpetrators of the world's gravest crimes to account and gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure,' European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said on social media platform X. Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, which represents national governments of the 27 member states, called the court 'a cornerstone of international justice' and said its independence and integrity must be protected. US President Donald Trump 's administration imposed sanctions on four judges at the ICC in retaliation for the war tribunal's issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a past decision to open a case into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan. The US order names Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. The US sanctions mean the judges are now on a list of specially designated sanctioned individuals. Any US assets they have will be blocked and they are put on an automated screening service used by not only American banks but many banks worldwide, making it very difficult for sanctioned persons to hold or open bank accounts or transfer money. Trump's initial order announcing sanctions on the ICC also said that US citizens who provide services for the benefit of sanctioned individuals could face civil and criminal penalties. France said on Friday it backed the International Criminal Court after Washington imposed sanctions on four ICC judges, and said it was renewing its call on the United States to withdraw all its sanctions against the court. "France expresses its solidarity with the judges targeted by this decision, and reaffirms its unwavering support for the ICC and its staff, whose role is essential in the fight against impunity," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Slovenia urges EU to block sanctions Slovenia urged the EU to use its blocking statute, which lets the EU ban European companies from complying with US sanctions that Brussels deems unlawful. The power has been used in the past to prevent Washington from banning European trade with Cuba and Iran. 'Due to the inclusion of a citizen of an EU member state on the sanctions list, Slovenia will propose the immediate activation of the blocking act,' Slovenia's foreign ministry said in a post on social media site X late on Thursday. ICC president Judge Tomoko Akane had urged the EU already in March this year to bring the ICC into the scope of the blocking statute. The new sanctions have been imposed at a difficult time for the ICC, which is already reeling from earlier US sanctions against its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who last month stepped aside temporarily amid a United Nations investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. The court's governing body, which represents its 125 member states, on Friday condemned the US government's decision to retaliate against judges. 'These ... are regrettable attempts to impede the Court and its personnel in the exercise of their independent judicial functions,' the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties said.
France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
EU states look to trim compensation for flight delays
At present, passengers in Europe have a right to between 250 and 600 euros ($285-685) in compensation, depending on flight distance, for delays of three hours or more. But airlines complain that leaves them a hefty bill, and often leads them to cancel flights rather than run them with a long delay, due to knock-on effects on flight schedules. A majority of EU states agreed late Thursday to change the rules, overcoming opposition from Germany in particular, following hours of painstaking negotiations in Luxembourg. Under the new system, the compensation threshold would increase to four hours for flights of up to 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles), or connecting cities inside the European Union, with its amount set at 300 euros. For longer flights, the right to compensation of 500 euros would kick in after a six-hour delay. The European Consumer Organisation BEUC slammed the plan, saying the "new eligibility thresholds will deprive the majority of passengers from their compensation rights", as most delays are between two and four hours. It urged European lawmakers -- who have yet to approve the text -- to uphold passengers' rights. The compromise did not satisfy airlines either, with the umbrella group Airlines for Europe (A4E) -- which includes Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair and easyJet -- complaining that it "introduced even more complexity" than the initial European Commission plan. But a spokesperson for the French aviation industry federation called it a "step forward" for consumers. The rules changes "clarify the law and will avoid many recurrent court disputes," said the spokesperson, Laurent Timset. Poland's infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, meanwhile cheered the creation of "over 30 new rights" for passengers, in a statement announcing the deal. Those include a "right to be rerouted" at the earliest opportunity, including through flights operated by other carriers or alternative transport modes. The plan also creates a system for passengers to be automatically compensated for flights cancelled within 14 days of departure. And it spells out the right to assistance -- refreshments, food, accommodation -- when travel is disrupted. France's transport minister Philippe Tabarot declared himself satisfied with the compromise.
