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Daily News Egypt
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Pro-Europe candidates lead in Poland, Romania, Portugal elections
Pro-European Union candidates have shown strong performances in elections held in Poland, Romania, and Portugal, where they faced challenges from nationalist, right-wing parties. In Poland, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a candidate for the ruling centrist Civic Coalition (KO), secured a narrow lead in the first round of presidential elections. In Romania, centrist Nicușor Dan won the presidential run-off in Bucharest. Meanwhile, in Portugal, Democratic Alliance leader and current Prime Minister Luís Montenegro won parliamentary elections but fell short of a majority. According to Bloomberg, Trzaskowski won the first round of the Polish presidential election with 31.2% of the vote. In Romania, centrist candidate Nicușor Dan won the second round with over 5.83 million votes. Trzaskowski's 31.2% placed him ahead of Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, who received 29.7%. The margin was significantly tighter than the 4-7 percentage points indicated in pre-vote opinion polls. If confirmed, this result means Trzaskowski and Nawrocki will compete in a run-off election scheduled for 1 June. This will determine whether Poland maintains the pro-European course set by Prime Minister Donald Tusk or moves closer to nationalist supporters aligned with figures like former US President Donald Trump. 'We are striving for victory. I said the result would be close, and it is indeed close. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we need determination,' Trzaskowski told his supporters. Nawrocki told his supporters he was 'confident of winning in the second round' and called on the far-right to support him to 'save Poland.' Far-right candidates Sławomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun collectively received over 21% of the vote, a historically high figure. The Polish vote coincided with the presidential run-off in Romania, where Bucharest's centrist mayor appeared on track to defeat the far-right, Eurosceptic MP George Simion. In Poland, the president has the power to veto laws. A victory for Trzaskowski in the second round would enable Tusk's government to implement an agenda that includes reversing judicial reforms introduced by PiS, which critics say undermined the independence of the courts. Trzaskowski has pledged to strengthen Poland's role as a key player in European policymaking and work with the government to undo PiS's judicial changes. Nawrocki views the election as an opportunity to prevent Tusk from gaining absolute power and to counter the liberal values represented by Trzaskowski, who, as Warsaw's mayor, has supported LGBTQ+ pride marches. Unlike some other Eurosceptics in Central Europe, Nawrocki supports military aid to Ukraine against Russia. However, he has tapped into anti-Ukrainian sentiment among some Poles weary of the influx of refugees. Romanian Election In Romania, pro-EU centrist Nicușor Dan won the presidential run-off, defeating a far-right, Eurosceptic nationalist rival who had led the first round and raised concerns about the country's pro-Western orientation. Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and mayor of Bucharest, secured over 54% of the vote, compared to about 46% for George Simion, a former football hooligan turned leader of the far-right AUR party, after more than 97% of votes were counted, the Financial Times reported. The mayor's victory concludes months of political and economic turmoil that erupted after a previous vote was annulled due to alleged Russian interference, placing Bucharest in the crosshairs of Moscow and Washington and dividing the country over its future path. 'Elections are not about politicians, but about communities. And the community that won today wants radical changes,' Dan said after his victory. He acknowledged the anger of the 'losing community' and promised reforms to combat corruption and improve the rule of law. Simion declared a 'clear victory' on behalf of the Romanian people, asserting he still trusted the accuracy of the vote count. Later, a spokesperson told the Financial Times, 'We will request a recount if we have concerns about fraud.' Simion rose to prominence due to voter anger over the authorities' annulment of last year's presidential election, citing alleged Russian interference in favour of another far-right nationalist candidate, Călin Georgescu, who surprisingly topped the first round of voting last November. Georgescu was barred from running again but endorsed Simion, who had stated he would make Georgescu prime minister if he won. Dan will face the difficult task of appointing an effective new prime minister and government capable of passing necessary reforms to avoid losing attractive investor status and to secure EU funding. Minority Government in Portugal In Portugal, results pointed towards another minority government after the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) party won the general election but failed to secure a parliamentary majority in a vote that saw a significant advance for a far-right populist party, the Associated Press reported. Democratic Alliance leader and current Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said he was ready to discuss solutions with other parties. In his remarks, he thanked his supporters, his family, and the 'political family' that defended him against attacks related to deals made by a company he founded before leading the party, which is now owned by his sons. With 99.2% of votes counted, the Democratic Alliance had secured at least 89 seats in the 230-seat National Assembly. In a dramatic reflection of shifts in Portugal's political landscape, support for the populist Chega party rose again. It garnered at least 58 seats, up from 50 last year, challenging the centre-left Socialists as Portugal's second-largest party. Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos announced his resignation after his party came in second, losing several seats, bringing it closer to the relatively new far-right Chega party. Portugal's third general election in three years on Sunday dashed hopes that the ballot would end the worst wave of political instability in decades in the EU member state of 10.6 million people. Adding to the uncertainty, the increased support for Chega means the far-right party could potentially take second place with its focus on curbing immigration and combating corruption, challenging the centre-left Socialists. Public frustration with Portugal's mainstream parties has led to an increasingly fragmented political scene, challenging efforts to unify policies on pressing national issues such as immigration, housing, and the cost of living. Immigration and housing are key issues in Portugal, with Chega owing its significant success to its calls for stricter immigration policies, which resonated widely with voters. Portugal has seen a sharp rise in immigration. In 2018, the number of legal immigrants in the country was less than half a million. By early this year, their numbers exceeded 1.5 million, many of whom are Brazilians and Asians working in the tourism and agriculture sectors.
Arab Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Pro-EU centrist wins Romania's tense presidential race
BUCHAREST, Romania, May 19, (AP): Pro-European Union candidate Nicusor Dan on Sunday won Romania's closely watched presidential runoff against a hard-right nationalist who modeled his campaign after US President Donald Trump. The victory marked a major turnaround in a tense election that many viewed as a geopolitical choice for the former Eastern Bloc country between East or West. The race pitted front-runner George Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, against Dan, the incumbent mayor of Bucharest. It was held months after the cancelation of the previous election plunged Romania into its worst political crisis in decades. With more than 99% of polling stations reporting, Dan was ahead with 53.9%, while Simion trailed at 46.1%, according to official data. In the first-round vote on May 4, Simion won almost twice as many votes as Dan, and many local surveys predicted he would secure the presidency. But in a swing that appeared to be a repudiation of Simion's skeptical approach to the EU, which Romania joined in 2007, Dan picked up almost 900,000 more votes to solidly defeat his opponent in the final round. On Sunday evening, thousands gathered outside Dan's headquarters near Bucharest City Hall to await the final results, chanting "Nicusor!' Each time his lead widened as more results came in, the crowd, many waving the flags of Europe, would erupt in cheers. Once it was clear he had secured a victory, Dan gave an emotional speech from an outdoor stage where he thanked his supporters, and reached out to Simion's backers with a message of national unity. "What you have done as a society in these past weeks has been extraordinary,' he said. "Our full respect for those who had a different choice today, and for those who made a different choice in the first round. We have a Romania to build together, regardless of political choices.' Final electoral data showed a 64% voter turnout - a sharp increase from the first round on May 4 where 53% of eligible voters cast a ballot. About 1.64 million Romanians abroad participated in the vote, some 660,000 more than in the first round.
Korea Herald
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Pro-EU centrist wins Romania's tense presidential race over hard-right nationalist
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Pro-European Union candidate Nicusor Dan on Sunday won Romania's closely watched presidential runoff against a hard-right nationalist who modeled his campaign after US President Donald Trump. The victory marked a major turnaround in a tense election that many viewed as a geopolitical choice for the former Eastern Bloc country between East or West. The race pitted front-runner George Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, against Dan, the incumbent mayor of Bucharest. It was held months after the cancellation of the previous election plunged Romania into its worst political crisis in decades. With more than 99 percent of polling stations reporting, Dan was ahead with 53.9 percent, while Simion trailed at 46.1 percent, according to official data. In the first-round vote on May 4, Simion won almost twice as many votes as Dan, and many local surveys predicted he would secure the presidency. But in a swing that appeared to be a repudiation of Simion's skeptical approach to the EU, which Romania joined in 2007, Dan picked up almost 900,000 more votes to solidly defeat his opponent in the final round. On Sunday evening, thousands gathered outside Dan's headquarters near Bucharest City Hall to await the final results, chanting "Nicusor!" Each time his lead widened as more results came in, the crowd, many waving the flags of Europe, would erupt in cheers. Once it was clear he had secured a victory, Dan gave an emotional speech from an outdoor stage where he thanked his supporters, and reached out to Simion's backers with a message of national unity. "What you have done as a society in these past weeks has been extraordinary," he said. "Our full respect for those who had a different choice today, and for those who made a different choice in the first round. We have a Romania to build together, regardless of political choices." Final electoral data showed a 64 percent voter turnout — a sharp increase from the first round on May 4 where 53 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot. About 1.64 million Romanians abroad participated in the vote, some 660,000 more than in the first round. The high turnout was believed to have benefited Dan who, shortly after 11 p.m. local time, emerged onto the balcony of his headquarters and waved to his thousands of supporters who had gathered along the length of a boulevard in central Bucharest, eliciting an ecstatic roar from the crowd. At the raucous rally, Ruxandra Gheorghiu, 23, told The Associated Press that she had been considering leaving Romania, but that with Dan's victory, "I feel like everything is going to be fine." "I was so scared that our European course is near the end.... We are still in Europe and we are not fighting for this right," she said. "I cannot explain the feeling right now." Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician who rose to prominence as a civic activist fighting against illegal real estate projects, founded the reformist Save Romania Union party in 2016 but later left, and ran independently on a pro-EU ticket reaffirming Western ties, support for Ukraine and fiscal reform. After the election Sunday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her "warmest congratulations" to Dan and noted that Romanians "turned out massively" to vote. "They have chosen the promise of an open, prosperous Romania in a strong Europe," she said in a post on X. "Together let's deliver on that promise." Romania's political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election in which far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first-round polls, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow denied. Simion capitalized on the furor over the annulment of that election and, after coming fourth in last year's canceled race, allied with Georgescu, who was banned in March from running in the election redo. Simion then surged to front-runner in the May 4 first round after becoming the standard-bearer for the hard right, and promised to appoint Georgescu prime minister if he secured the presidency. Years of endemic corruption and growing anger toward Romania's political establishment have fueled a surge in support for anti-establishment and hard-right figures, reflecting a broader pattern across Europe. Both Simion and Dan have made their political careers railing against Romania's old political class. Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, told the AP that the election results showed that Romanians "rejected hate and reactionary politics and embraced the pro-western direction" for their country, which has played a major logistical role in delivering Western assistance to neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is a win for the optimistic Romania, but there is a large part of voters that are really upset with the direction of the country," he said. "Romania comes out of this election very divided, with a totally new political landscape, where older political parties are challenged to adapt to a new reality." In the lead-up to Sunday's vote, Simion's rhetoric had raised some concerns that he wouldn't respect the outcome if he lost. In the early afternoon, he told reporters that his team was confident in a "landslide victory," if the election was "free and fair." In the afternoon on election day, he repeated allegations of voting irregularities among Romanian citizens in neighboring Moldova and said that his party members would conduct a parallel vote count after polls closed. However, Simion gave a statement on social media in the early hours on Monday acknowledging that "we lost the second round of the elections." "We cannot accuse significant tampering with the ballots," he said. "We'll continue to represent the sovereignist, patriotic, conservative movement in Romania, and we'll continue to fight... for freedom, for God, for family and for our common ideas." The president is elected for a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in matters of national security and foreign policy. As winner of Sunday's race, Dan will be charged with nominating a new prime minister after Marcel Ciolacu stepped down following the failure of his coalition's candidate to advance to the runoff.
Yomiuri Shimbun
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Pro-EU Centrist Wins Romania's Tense Presidential Race over Hard-Right Nationalist
The Associated Press Presidential candidate Nicusor Dan waves to his supporters after polls closed for the second round of the country's presidential election redo in Bucharest, Romania, early Monday, May 19, 2025. BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Pro-European Union candidate Nicusor Dan on Sunday won Romania's closely watched presidential runoff against a hard-right nationalist who modeled his campaign after U.S. President Donald Trump. The victory marked a major turnaround in a tense election that many viewed as a geopolitical choice for the former Eastern Bloc country between East or West. The race pitted front-runner George Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, against Dan, the incumbent mayor of Bucharest. It was held months after the cancelation of the previous election plunged Romania into its worst political crisis in decades. With more than 99% of polling stations reporting, Dan was ahead with 53.9%, while Simion trailed at 46.1%, according to official data. In the first-round vote on May 4, Simion won almost twice as many votes as Dan, and many local surveys predicted he would secure the presidency. But in a swing that appeared to be a repudiation of Simion's skeptical approach to the EU, which Romania joined in 2007, Dan picked up almost 900,000 more votes to solidly defeat his opponent in the final round. On Sunday evening, thousands gathered outside Dan's headquarters near Bucharest City Hall to await the final results, chanting 'Nicusor!' Each time his lead widened as more results came in, the crowd, many waving the flags of Europe, would erupt in cheers. Once it was clear he had secured a victory, Dan gave an emotional speech from an outdoor stage where he thanked his supporters, and reached out to Simion's backers with a message of national unity. 'What you have done as a society in these past weeks has been extraordinary,' he said. 'Our full respect for those who had a different choice today, and for those who made a different choice in the first round. We have a Romania to build together, regardless of political choices.' High turnout drives win for Dan Final electoral data showed a 64% voter turnout — a sharp increase from the first round on May 4 where 53% of eligible voters cast a ballot. About 1.64 million Romanians abroad participated in the vote, some 660,000 more than in the first round. The high turnout was believed to have benefited Dan who, shortly after 11 p.m. local time, emerged onto the balcony of his headquarters and waved to his thousands of supporters who had gathered along the length of a boulevard in central Bucharest, eliciting an ecstatic roar from the crowd. At the raucous rally, Ruxandra Gheorghiu, 23, told The Associated Press that she had been considering leaving Romania, but that with Dan's victory, 'I feel like everything is going to be fine.' 'I was so scared that our European course is near the end. … We are still in Europe and we are not fighting for this right,' she said. 'I cannot explain the feeling right now.' Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician who rose to prominence as a civic activist fighting against illegal real estate projects, founded the reformist Save Romania Union party in 2016 but later left, and ran independently on a pro-EU ticket reaffirming Western ties, support for Ukraine and fiscal reform. After the election Sunday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her 'warmest congratulations' to Dan and noted that Romanians 'turned out massively' to vote. 'They have chosen the promise of an open, prosperous Romania in a strong Europe,' she said in a post on X. 'Together let's deliver on that promise.' What's going on in Romania? Romania's political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election in which far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first-round polls, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow denied. Simion capitalized on the furor over the annulment of that election and, after coming fourth in last year's canceled race, allied with Georgescu, who was banned in March from running in the election redo. Simion then surged to front-runner in the May 4 first round after becoming the standard-bearer for the hard right, and promised to appoint Georgescu prime minister if he secured the presidency. Years of endemic corruption and growing anger toward Romania's political establishment have fueled a surge in support for anti-establishment and hard-right figures, reflecting a broader pattern across Europe. Both Simion and Dan have made their political careers railing against Romania's old political class. Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, told the AP that the election results showed that Romanians 'rejected hate and reactionary politics and embraced the pro-western direction' for their country, which has played a major logistical role in delivering Western assistance to neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion. 'It is a win for the optimistic Romania, but there is a large part of voters that are really upset with the direction of the country,' he said. 'Romania comes out of this election very divided, with a totally new political landscape, where older political parties are challenged to adapt to a new reality.' In the lead-up to Sunday's vote, Simion's rhetoric had raised some concerns that he wouldn't respect the outcome if he lost. In the early afternoon, he told reporters that his team was confident in a 'landslide victory,' if the election was 'free and fair.' In the afternoon on election day, he repeated allegations of voting irregularities among Romanian citizens in neighboring Moldova and said that his party members would conduct a parallel vote count after polls closed. However, Simion gave a statement on social media in the early hours on Monday acknowledging that 'we lost the second round of the elections.' 'We cannot accuse significant tampering with the ballots,' he said. 'We'll continue to represent the sovereignist, patriotic, conservative movement in Romania, and we'll continue to fight … for freedom, for God, for family and for our common ideas.' The president is elected for a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in matters of national security and foreign policy. As winner of Sunday's race, Dan will be charged with nominating a new prime minister after Marcel Ciolacu stepped down following the failure of his coalition's candidate to advance to the runoff.
The Mainichi
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Pro-EU centrist wins Romania's tense presidential race over hard-right nationalist
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- Pro-European Union candidate Nicusor Dan on Sunday won Romania's closely watched presidential runoff against a hard-right nationalist who modeled his campaign after U.S. President Donald Trump. The victory marked a major turnaround in a tense election that many viewed as a geopolitical choice for the former Eastern Bloc country between East or West. The race pitted front-runner George Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, against Dan, the incumbent mayor of Bucharest. It was held months after the cancelation of the previous election plunged Romania into its worst political crisis in decades. With more than 99% of polling stations reporting, Dan was ahead with 53.9%, while Simion trailed at 46.1%, according to official data. In the first-round vote on May 4, Simion won almost twice as many votes as Dan, and many local surveys predicted he would secure the presidency. But in a swing that appeared to be a repudiation of Simion's skeptical approach to the EU, which Romania joined in 2007, Dan picked up almost 900,000 more votes to solidly defeat his opponent in the final round. On Sunday evening, thousands gathered outside Dan's headquarters near Bucharest City Hall to await the final results, chanting "Nicusor!" Each time his lead widened as more results came in, the crowd, many waving the flags of Europe, would erupt in cheers. Once it was clear he had secured a victory, Dan gave an emotional speech from an outdoor stage where he thanked his supporters, and reached out to Simion's backers with a message of national unity. "What you have done as a society in these past weeks has been extraordinary," he said. "Our full respect for those who had a different choice today, and for those who made a different choice in the first round. We have a Romania to build together, regardless of political choices." High turnout drives win for Dan Final electoral data showed a 64% voter turnout -- a sharp increase from the first round on May 4 where 53% of eligible voters cast a ballot. About 1.64 million Romanians abroad participated in the vote, some 660,000 more than in the first round. The high turnout was believed to have benefited Dan who, shortly after 11 p.m. local time, emerged onto the balcony of his headquarters and waved to his thousands of supporters who had gathered along the length of a boulevard in central Bucharest, eliciting an ecstatic roar from the crowd. At the raucous rally, Ruxandra Gheorghiu, 23, told The Associated Press that she had been considering leaving Romania, but that with Dan's victory, "I feel like everything is going to be fine." "I was so scared that our European course is near the end. -- We are still in Europe and we are not fighting for this right," she said. "I cannot explain the feeling right now." Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician who rose to prominence as a civic activist fighting against illegal real estate projects, founded the reformist Save Romania Union party in 2016 but later left, and ran independently on a pro-EU ticket reaffirming Western ties, support for Ukraine and fiscal reform. After the election Sunday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her "warmest congratulations" to Dan and noted that Romanians "turned out massively" to vote. "They have chosen the promise of an open, prosperous Romania in a strong Europe," she said in a post on X. "Together let's deliver on that promise." What's going on in Romania? Romania's political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election in which far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first-round polls, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow denied. Simion capitalized on the furor over the annulment of that election and, after coming fourth in last year's canceled race, allied with Georgescu, who was banned in March from running in the election redo. Simion then surged to front-runner in the May 4 first round after becoming the standard-bearer for the hard right, and promised to appoint Georgescu prime minister if he secured the presidency. Years of endemic corruption and growing anger toward Romania's political establishment have fueled a surge in support for anti-establishment and hard-right figures, reflecting a broader pattern across Europe. Both Simion and Dan have made their political careers railing against Romania's old political class. Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, told the AP that the election results showed that Romanians "rejected hate and reactionary politics and embraced the pro-western direction" for their country, which has played a major logistical role in delivering Western assistance to neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is a win for the optimistic Romania, but there is a large part of voters that are really upset with the direction of the country," he said. "Romania comes out of this election very divided, with a totally new political landscape, where older political parties are challenged to adapt to a new reality." In the lead-up to Sunday's vote, Simion's rhetoric had raised some concerns that he wouldn't respect the outcome if he lost. In the early afternoon, he told reporters that his team was confident in a "landslide victory," if the election was "free and fair." In the afternoon on election day, he repeated allegations of voting irregularities among Romanian citizens in neighboring Moldova and said that his party members would conduct a parallel vote count after polls closed. However, Simion gave a statement on social media in the early hours on Monday acknowledging that "we lost the second round of the elections." "We cannot accuse significant tampering with the ballots," he said. "We'll continue to represent the sovereignist, patriotic, conservative movement in Romania, and we'll continue to fight ... for freedom, for God, for family and for our common ideas." The president is elected for a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in matters of national security and foreign policy. As winner of Sunday's race, Dan will be charged with nominating a new prime minister after Marcel Ciolacu stepped down following the failure of his coalition's candidate to advance to the runoff.
