Latest news with #NicuşorDan
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Romania's top court rejects far-right candidate's attempt to annul election
Romania's top court has unanimously rejected an application by the defeated far-right candidate in Sunday's presidential election rerun, George Simion, to annul the vote on the grounds of foreign interference. 'Following deliberations, the constitutional court unanimously rejected the request … as unfounded,' the court said in statement on Thursday, adding that its decision was final and it would publish its full reasoning at a later date. Simion, an EU-critical, Trump-admiring former ultranationalist agitator who opposes military aid to Ukraine, filed the request on Tuesday, two days after conceding defeat to the centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, who won by 53.6% to 46.4%. 'The constitutional court has continued the coup! All we can do is fight! I call you to join me, today and in the coming weeks,' he posted on social media after the court's announcement. Simion had argued the count was correct but alleged prior interference by France and Moldova in 'an orchestrated effort to manipulate institutions, direct media narratives and impose a result that does not reflect the sovereign will of the Romanian people'. The election was rerun after the first attempt, last November, was annulled amid evidence of campaign financing violations and a 'massive' Russian interference campaign, drawing criticism from conservatives, including the US administration. The court said Sunday's results would be formally validated, with Dan in attendance, later on Thursday. Romania's permanent electoral authority confirmed on Wednesday the election had taken place 'in a climate of integrity, fairness and transparency'. The authority added in a statement: 'False information released in the public space, spread irresponsibly and in the absence of any evidence, only has the objective of undermining citizens' trust in state institutions.' The winner of the annulled original vote, the far-right firebrand Călin Georgescu, was barred from standing in the rerun and is under investigation for illegal use of digital technology, misreporting campaign spending, and promoting fascist groups. He denies any wrongdoing. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion Dan faces an uphill task to replace the current caretaker government with a new ruling coalition and reduce Romania's huge budget deficit, the EU's highest. He said on Thursday the country would remain firmly in the European mainstream. 'Romania will maintain its pro-western direction, meaning participation in Nato, presence in the EU, and strategic partnership with the US,' he said. 'But to be active in these structures, you need credibility which is why we must reduce our deficit.'
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Defeated Romanian ultranationalist says he will ask court to annul presidential election
The defeated ultranationalist candidate in Romania's presidential election rerun has said he will ask the country's top court to annul the vote on the same grounds – foreign interference – that led to the original ballot being cancelled last year. George Simion, who was defeated in Sunday's runoff by the liberal mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, said on Tuesday he would ask the constitutional court to void the ballot 'for the same reasons they annulled the elections' last year. The election, which Dan won by a margin of 53.6% to 46.4%, was the second time the vote had been held. The first, last November, was cancelled by the court after the first round amid allegations of campaign financing violations and a 'massive' Russian interference campaign. The winner of the annulled vote, far-right firebrand Călin Georgescu, was barred from standing again and is under formal investigation on counts including misreporting campaign spending, illegal use of digital technology and promoting fascist groups. He denies any wrongdoing. 'Just as Călin Georgescu was removed and the elections were annulled, we will challenge the election of Nicușor Dan for exactly the same reasons,' Simion, an EU-critical, Trump-admiring former soccer ultra, said in a statement to local media. 'Why? Because there was vote buying,' said Simion, who formally conceded to Dan on Sunday night after first claiming to have won. 'Because dead people voted on 18 May, and no calculation in the world can show us over 11.5 million Romanians voted.' Simion has repeatedly alleged electoral fraud without providing evidence. His belated decision to contest the election's outcome, while unlikely to succeed, will prolong the political uncertainty in Romania, which is under caretaker government. The ultranationalist, whose supporters carried out a parallel count at some polling stations, said votes were 'correctly counted' but 'international observers' had seen 'foreign interference' and 'social media and algorithms have been manipulated'. He claimed there was 'irrefutable evidence' of meddling by France, Moldova and others in 'an orchestrated effort to manipulate institutions, direct media narratives and impose a result that does not reflect the sovereign will of the Romanian people'. Simion referenced a suggestion by the founder of the Telegram messaging app, Pavel Durov, that Paris had asked it to 'silence conservative voices' in Romania. France has 'categorically rejected' what it called 'completely unfounded allegations'. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion Russian-born Durov, who also has French nationality, is being investigated by France in connection with alleged criminal activity on the app, including child abuse images and drug trafficking. Telegram has said it abides by EU law and denies the platform facilitates illegal activities. The far-right candidate said he had congratulated Dan on election night because 'I love Romania, the Romanian people, and I never want to see bloodshed.' The count may have been correct, he said, 'but before and during it, there was manipulation'. He acknowledged there was 'little chance that my request to the court will pass', but said he was 'appealing to all Romanians of good faith to … demand the cancellation of this masquerade'. He would provide those who wished with a template, he said.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Romania election: EU breathes sigh of relief after Dan defeats far-right, pro-Russia 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. 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 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. 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.
Irish Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
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'. READ MORE 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
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Europe live: Far-right Simion concedes as centrist wins Romanian presidential poll
The BBC has meanwhile reported a breakthrough in EU-UK talks, citing government sources. We'll bring you more when we have them. The talks were taking place over the weekend ahead of a key summit hosted by Keir Starmer with EU leaders aimed at resetting the UK's relationship with the bloc five years after Brexit. The talks were aimed at striking a deal to be signed at the summit and had gone down to the wire to resolve squabbling over long-standing issues, including fishing rights and a youth mobility scheme. An agreement would mark a symbolic step in turning the page on the animosity that followed Britain's exit from the bloc in January 2020. No 10's decision to issue a press statement on Saturday presenting the summit as a done deal caused irritation in Brussels, prompting some to recall the mantra of Brexit negotiations: 'Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.' Share Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the day after pivotal elections in Portugal, Romania and Poland. Here's a quick recap of where we stand: ROMANIA: The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, has won Romania's presidential election with 54% of the vote, eight points clear of his far-right rival, George Simion. Dan had cast the second round vote as a battle between 'a pro-western and an anti-western Romania'. 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'. Simion, a self-professed Trump-admirer, 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. PORTUGAL: Portugal's incumbent, centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) has won the country's third snap general election in three years but once again fallen well short of a majority, while the far-right Chega party has recorded a record result and is vying for second place with the Socialist party (PS). Votes from abroad, which will be counted in the coming days, could still put Chega in second place, which would be the first time in almost 40 years that the Socialists do not finish in the top two spots. By midnight on Sunday, with 99% of the votes counted, the AD – led by the prime minister, Luís Montenegro – had won 32.1% of the vote and taken 86 seats in Portugal's 230-seat assembly. It needed 116 for a majority. The Socialists had taken 23.4% of the vote t0 Chega's 22.6%, and the two were tied on 58 seats each. POLAND: The pro-European centrist Rafał Trzaskowski and historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the populist right, each secured about 30% of the vote in a nail-bitingly close first round of Poland's presidential election. The vote sets the stage for a runoff round in two weeks that will force voters to choose between starkly different visions of the country's future. An exit poll by the Ipsos institute released as voting closed on Sunday, suggested Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw and candidate from the prime minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition, had claimed 30.8% of the vote in the first round. Trailing him was Nawrocki, who has been endorsed by the Law and Justice party (PiS), with 29.1% of the vote. Share
