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Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Romania election: EU breathes sigh of relief after Dan defeats far-right rival
The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, has begun sounding out Romania's political parties over forming a new majority government after winning the country's presidential election in a surprise result greeted with relief across the EU. With all votes counted on Monday morning, Dan, who had described the second round vote as a battle between 'a pro-western and an anti-western Romania', scored 53.6%, official figures showed, against 46.4% for his far-right rival George Simion. default Dan, 55, a quietly-spoken mathematician who has been the capital's independent mayor since 2020, came from behind to win after losing heavily to Simion, a brash, EU-critical Trump admirer who had wanted to halt aid to Ukraine, in the first round. At nearly 65%, turnout was the highest in a Romanian election for a quarter of a century, reflecting the importance of a vote with huge consequences for the country's strategic alignment and economic prospects, as well as for EU unity. Staunchly pro-EU and pro-Nato, Dan had campaigned on a pledge to fight corruption, maintain support for neighbouring Ukraine – where Romania has played an important logistical role – and keep the country firmly within the western mainstream. 'It's a victory of thousands and thousands of people who … believe that Romania can change in the right direction,' he told his supporters after the outcome became clear, while calling for 'hope and patience' as the country faced 'a difficult period ahead'. Simion, a former soccer ultra and ultranationalist agitator, at first refused to concede, claiming on social media on Sunday: 'I am the new president of Romania.' But he later acknowledged Dan 'won the election, and this was the will of the Romanian people'. The far-right candidate vowed, however, to 'continue the fight for freedom and our great values along with other patriots, sovereignists and conservatives all over the world. We may have lost a battle, but we will certainly not lose the war.' EU leaders congratulated Dan. The European Commission's president, Ursula von der Leyen, said the result would help 'a strong Europe', while the European Council president, António Costa, called it 'a strong signal of Romanians' attachment to the European project'. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said Romania had 'chosen democracy, the rule of law, and the European Union'. Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also congratulated Dan, saying it was 'important to have Romania as a reliable partner'. The result deprives Hungary's illiberal leader, Viktor Orbán, the EU's disrupter-in-chief, and Slovakia's Robert Fico – both of whom oppose military aid for Ukraine – of a new ally in key decisions on the war, energy, EU enlargement and the bloc's budget. Related: 'Between a mathematician and a Trump-loving hooligan': Romania's stark presidential choice The election came nearly six months after an initial vote was annulled amid evidence of campaign finance irregularities and a 'massive' Russian interference campaign in favour of its far-right winner, Călin Georgescu, who was banned from standing again. Simion had said that if he won he would nominate the Moscow-friendly Georgescu, who is under investigation on six counts including misreporting campaign spending, illegal use of digital technology and promoting fascist groups, as prime minister. Cristian Preda, a professor of politics at the University of Bucharest, said the result reflected voters' concern that 'for the first time in Romania's electoral history, we had a potential president who was openly supported by Moscow'. Preda said a clear majority of about 60% of voters were deeply disillusioned with Romania's mainstream centre-left Socials Democrats (PSD) and centre-right Liberals (PNL) – but that a similar proportion were also solidly pro-European and anti-Russian. 'Voters were faced with a choice between the positions of the Kremlin, and those of Brussels,' he said. 'Dan was pro-western and represented neither of the big parties, in an election in which security was key. For me, the result was never really in doubt.' Dan faces a daunting in-tray and a tough challenge finding a prime minister to form a majority in parliament to reduce Romania's budget deficit – the largest in the EU – as well as to reassure investors and markets spooked by a possible Simion win. Romanian presidents have a semi-executive role, with considerable powers over foreign policy, national security, defence spending and judicial appointments, and can also dissolve parliament if MPs reject two prime ministerial nominations. Simion's victory in the 4 May first round triggered the collapse of Romania's PSD-PNL ruling coalition. Local media suggested Dan would first seek to form a new majority with the two main parties and a prime minister from his Save Romania Union (USR). Failing that, he may work towards a minority coalition with the Liberals, with a confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Social Democrats. He has ruled out any cooperation with Simion's AUR party, the second largest in parliament. The voting in Romania took place on the same day as the first round of a Polish election in which a liberal frontrunner, Rafał Trzaskowski, edged ahead of Karol Nawrocki, who was backed by the opposition nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party. Trzaskowski did worse than expected, with final results showing he scored 31.36% to Nawrocki's 29.54%. Since Polish presidents can veto laws passed by parliament, the 1 June runoff will determine prime minister Donald Tusk's ability to push through his reformist, pro-EU agenda.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Runoffs, reruns and rightwingers: Europe prepares for electoral ‘super Sunday'
Millions of voters in Romania, Poland and Portugal will cast their ballots this weekend in an electoral 'super Sunday' that will determine the course of their democracies at a time of heightened political, commercial and economic tensions. In Romania, the far-right candidate is the frontrunner in a presidential runoff, while in a deeply polarised Poland's first-round vote, a liberal, a conservative and a far-right candidate are vying to become president. In Portugal, which is holding a snap legislative election just 14 months after the last vote, the status quo looks set to continue. Here's what you need to know. Yes. The original vote last year was annulled and its shock far-right winner disbarred amid widespread concerns over Russian interference and other irregularities. So the vote on Sunday is the second round of the second presidential election in six months. This time an ultranationalist, EU-critical Trump admirer is in a run-off against a centrist independent in a vote that analysts have called the most important in the country's post-communist history. George Simion, 38, who sports Maga caps, promotes a socially conservative agenda and wants the 'Melonisation' of Europe and to halt military aid to Ukraine, won the first round comfortably with 41% of the vote, nearly double the score of his rival. The second-placed Nicușor Dan, the 55-year-old mayor of Bucharest, has cast the runoff as a fight between 'a pro-western and an anti-western direction for Romania'. Polls show the gap between the two narrowing, with one putting them neck and neck. Riding a wave of voter frustration with Romania's mainstream parties, Simion has promised, if he wins, to appoint as prime minister Călin Georgescu, the winner of last November's cancelled vote. The first-round defeat of the ruling Social Democrat-Liberal coalition's candidate triggered the resignation of the pro-European prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and the de facto collapse of the government. A new coalition must now be formed. Analysts have said a Simion victory could lead to the country swinging sharply to the right. A confidence-and-supply deal between Simion's AUR party, the second largest in parliament, and Coalacu's Social Democrats is seen as a post-vote possibility, as are snap elections. The ballot is being closely watched by the EU, which could do without another disruptor in the region alongside Hungary and Slovakia. Also interested are nationalists – including in Washington – who accused Bucharest of trampling on democracy after the original vote was cancelled and Georgescu barred from standing in the rerun. Romania's president has a semi-executive role with considerable powers over foreign policy, national security, defence spending and judicial appointments. They also represent the country, a Nato member, on the international stage and can veto important EU votes. Also high-stakes, certainly, at least, for Donald Tusk's government. Sunday's vote will narrow down the list of contenders to be the country's next president, a role that carries some influence over foreign and defence policy, as well as robust powers to veto legislation passed by parliament. Since 2023, the country has been governed by Tusk's Civic Coalition, an ideologically diverse and politically fragile alliance of pro-democratic parties. Its central promise has been to reverse the controversial and expansive changes pursued during the eight years of rule by the national-populist Law and Justice (PiS) party. But the government's ability to deliver on these promises remained hampered by the veto power vested in the president, a position held since 2015 by Andrzej Duda, a close political ally of the ousted administration and a firm supporter of Donald Trump. Winning the presidential race would consolidate the government's position and could help it fulfil some of its liberal promises on social issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Having consistently led the polls, Rafał Trzaskowski, the 53-year-old centrist mayor of Warsaw and a senior member of the Civic Coalition, is the candidate to beat. His main rival is a 42-year-old conservative, Karol Nawrocki, who is formally independent but endorsed by PiS. The previously little-known historian hopes to offer a fresh face and a break with the populist-right government's polarising legacy while sticking to its core messages on sovereignty, illegal migration and frustration with green policies. Trzaskowski and Nawrocki are almost certain to win the top two positions and go through to a runoff on 1 June. Sławomir Mentzen, 38, a leader of the far-right Confederation party, is the outside candidate, who briefly challenged Nawrocki for second place but has faded over the past month. Presenting himself as a spokesperson for a younger generation disenchanted with mainstream politics, he campaigns on a ticket of radical deregulation and tax cuts. An outspoken critic of the EU and opponent of liberalising migration, LGBTQ rightsand abortion laws, he is believed to be positioning himself for the 2027 parliamentary elections. This one is expected to bring fewer fireworks. Portugal is heading to the polls for its third snap general election in three years. The centre-right prime minister, Luís Montenegro, triggered Sunday's vote in response to growing questions over his family's business activities. Montenegro, the leader of the Democratic Alliance (AD) platform that has governed Portugal since its narrow victory in last year's election, has come under growing scrutiny relating to a data protection consultancy that he founded in 2021 and which he transferred to his wife and sons the following year. Faced with questions over possible conflicts of interest, Montenegro – who has denied any wrongdoing or ethical breaches – staged a confidence vote in his administration in March, saying he wanted'to end the atmosphere of permanent insinuations and intrigues'. But he lost the vote and a fresh election was called. Recent polls suggest a similar result to last time, putting the AD on about 33%, the opposition Socialist party (PS) on 26% and the far-right Chega party on 17%. Montenegro appears likely to once again fall short of a majority – even if he strikes a deal with the small Liberal Initiative party, which is polling at about 6% – and will struggle to govern, especially if the PS makes good on its threats to oppose his legislative agenda. Although Montenegro has maintained his blanket ban on any deals with Chega, his government has been accused of pandering to the far right after it announced the expulsion of 18,000 irregular migrants during the election campaign. There has also been speculation that Montenegro's own Social Democratic party could replace him with someone more amenable to working with Chega should he fail to deliver on Sunday. Last time round, the AD won 80 seats to the PS's 78, while Chega, which is led by the former TV football pundit André Ventura, enjoyed a surge in support and increased its seat count from 12 to 50.
