Hard-right leader wins first round of Romania's presidential election rerun
George Simion, leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, emerged as the clear frontrunner in Romania's presidential election redo, securing 40.5 per cent of the vote with nearly all ballots counted.
The vote followed last year's annulled election marred by allegations of fraud.
Mr Simion, 38, now faces Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan in the 18 May runoff.
Mr Dan trailed with 20.89 per cent of the vote while centrist Crin Antonescu, the ruling coalition's candidate, stood third with 20.34 per cent and conceded defeat, saying it was an 'irreversible result'.
'This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It's the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country,' Mr Simion said in a recorded speech aired after polls closed.
'I am here to restore constitutional order. I want democracy, I want normalcy, and I have a single objective: to give back to Romanian people what was taken from them and to place at the centre of decision-making the ordinary, honest, dignified people.'
The rerun followed the disqualification of Calin Georgescu, who unexpectedly topped the first round of last year's election but was controversially barred from running this time around. Last year's result was annulled after the top court ruled that declassified documents had revealed alleged Russian influence in the election.
Mr Georgescu denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Simion, who backed Mr Georgescu, 63, vowed to restore 'constitutional order' and appeal to Romanians disillusioned with the political elite.
On Sunday, he said he had no other goal than 'first place for the Romanian people'.
Mr Georgescu called the vote rerun 'a fraud orchestrated by those who have made deceit the only state policy'. However, he added that he voted to 'acknowledge the power of democracy, the power of the vote that frightens the system, that terrifies the system'.
According to the Central Election Bureau, nearly 9.57 million people, 53.2 per cent of those eligible, voted in the election, including 973,000 at overseas polling stations.
Analysts said that Mr Simion's success signalled a political upheaval and rising populism amid economic malaise and deep mistrust in traditional institutions in Romania.
Mr Simion said earlier that if elected, he would reveal 'how much we have contributed to the war effort in Ukraine, to the detriment of Romanian children and our elderly'.
'The anti-establishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement but is against the people who destroyed this country,' he told Associated Press days before the rerun. 'We are not a democratic state anymore.'
Cristian Andrei, a political consultant in Bucharest, told the news agency Mr Simion's decisive lead marked a fundamental shift in Romania's political landscape. And if Mr Dan advanced to the runoff as well, he added, it would signal a resounding rejection of the traditional political class and establishment.
'You have a populist or pro-sovereign movement, and you also have this liberal, urban, pro-Western segment of Romania that wants change,' he said, explaining that it would be a 'huge rejection of the classic political parties, and this will mean that the entire political spectrum will be reshaped.'
Mr Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union in 2016, campaigned on a pro-EU 'Honest Romania' platform.
'It is about the trust of Romanians and our partners in democracy,' he said after the polls closed, 'and in my opinion, it is a new beginning that we all have a responsibility to do correctly.'
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If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
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Putin's suspected daughter found working in anti-war galleries in Paris
Nastya Rodionova, a Russian writer and artist who has been based in Paris since 2022, had only met gallery manager Luiza Rozova in passing at events before she learned who the 22-year-old's parents were. Described by a number of people as a 'very nice and well-mannered girl,' Rozova is the daughter of a Russian woman named Svetlana Krivonogikh — and, according to investigative journalists, Russian President Vladimir Putin. After learning about Rozova's family background, Rodionova took to social media on June 4 to share it, highlighting the fact that the galleries where Rozova works primarily showcase Russian and Ukrainian anti-war art. The post quickly went viral — but the reactions were divided. Some members of the Russian emigre community argued Rozova had no control over who her parents are and it shouldn't be held against her. Others agreed it was ethically questionable that a family member of the Kremlin leader worked in anti-war art galleries as Russia was waging war against Ukraine, and praised the artist for revealing it. 'We are talking about artists (showcased in the galleries) who fled the regime,' Rodionova told the Kyiv Independent. 'Many of them are in danger. They shared all their personal information with the gallery staff without knowing who works there — it upset them very much (to learn about her).' The Kyiv Independent reached out to Rozova for comment through her employer. He acknowledged that he had passed along the request for comment and 'if she considers it possible to answer' she would do so. As of publication, Rozova has not replied. In most of Rozova's photos that were posted on social media or taken by media outlets for interviews, her face is deliberately cropped or turned away — a subtle yet telling choice, which some believe is due to her uncanny resemblance to the Russian leader. In the few photos of Rozova where her face is fully visible, she does bear unmistakable resemblance to Putin. 'Listen, judging by (Putin's) younger photos — probably, yes, I do look like him. But as it turns out, there are actually a lot of people who resemble Vladimir Vladimirovich,' she told GQ Russia in 2021. In the interview, Rozova wasn't directly asked whether she was related to the Russian leader. Rozova first attracted international attention in 2020, when the independent Russian investigative outlet Proekt published an expose detailing the substantial wealth of her mother, Svetlana Krivonogikh, who at the time possessed over $100 million in assets. Proekt's investigation revealed Krivonogikh's longstanding ties to Putin and noted that her daughter Rozova 'bears an uncanny resemblance' to the Russian leader, fueling the widespread speculation about her parentage. In the rare instances that Rozova has granted media interviews since then, she has never outright acknowledged or denied that Putin is her father. Dmitri Dolinski — director of the L Association, which oversees both Studio Albatros and the L Galerie where Rozova is employed — confirmed to Rodionova that Rozova's mother is Krivonogikh, she said. Krivonogikh was sanctioned by the U.K. in 2023 due to her stake in Bank Rossiya, which has, among other things, supported investments in Russian-occupied Crimea following the illegal annexation of 2014. In her original viral social media post, the Russian artist Rodionova stressed the importance of Studio Albatros and L Galerie as cultural spaces showcasing Russian and Ukrainian anti-war artists — and why that made the presence of the Kremlin leader's alleged daughter there problematic. 'In the context of Russia's ongoing war of aggression, people organizing any public events involving anti-war artists — and in some cases direct victims of the regime — must act with maximum transparency and sensitivity,' Rodionova wrote. Rodionova previously participated in some gallery events but has chosen to no longer do so. 'We must know who we are working with and make informed decisions about whether we are okay with (exhibiting art there). My personal answer in this case is no.' Given the Russian and Ukrainian artists' outspoken anti-war positions, there is a potential risk associated with disclosing their personal information to L Association — particularly given the lack of clarity around Rozova's ties to the Russian regime. One artist who collaborated with the gallery had even welcomed Rozova into their home without knowing her family connections, Rodionova added. When Rodionova first asked about Rozova's background, Dolinski reportedly told her that he does not look into his employees' families. At the same time, Rodionova noted, it appears he hired Rozova while knowing who her mother was and the fact that her mother was already subject to U.K. sanctions. Amid the ongoing controversy, the L Association appears to be standing behind Rozova. 'We regret that some voices have called for forms of stigmatization or 'collective punishment,' and we remind everyone that no one should be judged by their origins, birthplace, heritage, or any other criteria beyond their control. This is a red line we will not cross,' the organization wrote on Facebook on June 9, although they didn't mention Rozova by name. In response to Rodionova's post, a number of Russian emigres argued in the comments that Rozova should not be held accountable for the crimes of her alleged father. They claimed she has made a public anti-war stance in social media — although her actual social media account is disputed — and pointed to her residence in Paris as evidence that she is unlikely part of Putin's close inner circle. The exact number of Putin's children remains unconfirmed. It's known that he has two daughters from his marriage to Lyudmila Putina, who he divorced in 2014. In 2024, the Russian investigative outlet Dossier Center reported that he also has two young sons with Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast long rumored to be his partner. The two boys reportedly live in Putin's residence on Lake Valdai in northwestern Russia. Since coming forward with her revelation about Putin's alleged daughter Rozova, Rodionova told the Kyiv Independent that she has dealt not only with public slander but also threats made against her. 'I want to believe that these people have expressed their personal opinion but lots of messages were suspiciously similar,' she said, suggesting that there was an organized campaign of retaliation. Rodionova pushed back against those attacking her for raising questions about Rozova's parentage, arguing that they were distorting the reasons behind her decision. Regardless of Rozova's personal politics or the extent to which she has or hasn't benefited from the Russian regime, exiled artists like Rodionova emphasize that the ongoing dangers posed by Russia's full-scale war require extra caution and transparency when it comes to who is welcomed into anti-war cultural spaces. Read also: Controversial Russian literature prize sparks debate on separating culture from war crimes Hi there, it's Kate Tsurkan, thanks for reading this article. The story of Putin's alleged daughter working in anti-war art galleries in Paris is one of those crazy stories that make you realize culture and politics are never that far removed from each other, especially when it comes to Russia's war against Ukraine. I hope by reading this article you also reflected on questions of accountability, transparency, and trust during wartime. If you like reading this sort of material, please consider supporting us by becoming a paid member of the Kyiv Independent today. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
