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Euronews
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
EU elections Super Sunday shows centre-left parties remain in freefall
European leaders have been quick to congratulate centrist Nicusor Dan on Sunday's dramatic victory in Romania's presidential election over his hard-right rival George Simion. Dan won 53.6% of the vote, ahead of Simion, who during the campaign portrayed his movement as championing nationalist values and conservative policies similar to those of US President Donald Trump. By contrast, Dan — the pro-EU and pro-NATO mayor of Bucharest — had vowed to keep the nation in the European mainstream and maintain support for neighbouring Ukraine. His win is a huge relief for the EU and Ukraine at a time of crucial challenges for Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered support to build "an open and prosperous Romania in a strong Europe". EU Council President Antonio Costa said the result showed "a strong signal of Romanians' attachment to the European project". Jean-Michel De Waele, a political scientist at the ULB University in Brussels, told Euronews that only time will tell if this proves a setback for European nationalists, but stressed that leaders cannot ignore the anger of the anti-establishment voters. "There are many problems to be solved. And the citizens of the European Union in this part (of Europe) are not convinced by the EU," he said. "After all, 46% of Romanian citizens voted for Simion. So the EU can rejoice, but it must not forget and must not say: 'We understood the message, we will change the communication. Business as usual'." Parallel to Romania, Poland and Portugal went to the polls on what turned out to be the European elections' Super Sunday. In Poland, pro-European candidate Rafał Trzaskowski won the first round, ahead of conservative Karol Nawrocki. The pair will face each other in a runoff on 1 June. In Portugal, the ruling centre-right AD alliance won snap parliamentary elections yet fell short of a majority, while the far-right Chega made record gains. Meanwhile, the left-leaning PS lost 20 seats in parliament, resulting in the resignation of party leader Pedro Nuno Santo. The traditional left-wing parties were in free fall in all three elections. De Waele said that in Romania, the centre-left's lack of support for the pro-EU candidate was a major surprise. "There is an identity crisis in Europe and the left-wing parties don't have much to offer and don't question themselves much", De Waele explained. "The Romanian PSD is a member of the Party of European Socialists, which supports democracy, but that is completely insufficient. So I think it shows a lack of direction, a lack of leadership," he added. In the first round of the Polish presidential elections, two right-wing candidates faced each other without a leftist contender. According to De Waele, the struggles of the left-of-centre parties in Romania, Poland and Portugal revolve around losing touch with their traditional voters. "We see this clearly in Portugal. The areas where the Portuguese Communist Party or the left was strong are being eaten up by the far right," De Waele said. "So, they have lost contact with the public, they don't have much to offer in terms of discourse, as a dream, as a social project. And they are in very, very great difficulty." Lately, German and Hungarian social Democrats have struggled to win over voters against their right-wing or centre-right rivals. This is partly because of a leadership issue, according to De Waele. "I think we need strong leaders who actually dare to take action. You know, being on the left today is almost a bit shameful. It's as if there were no longer any pride, as if there were no longer a project, as if social democracy had lost its project." De Waele believes that the crisis of leadership is one cause of the turn many voters towards action-oriented leaders. "I think citizens are demanding concrete policies, and governments are taking strong positions. That's also why ... Trump is so successful. He's this kind of very virile, very strong populist leader." "Part of their victory comes from the fact that they say I'm going to do something for you. And I think that, unfortunately, the moderate left or the moderate right are paralysed and don't have any strong proposals," De Waele concluded.
Euronews
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
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.
Euronews
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Romanians vote in cliffhanger election as tensions continue to rise
Romanians are out to elect their president on Sunday in a cliffhanger election that has transfixed and polarised the country, with both candidates running neck and neck in the latest polls. Most Romanians see today's choice as probably the most important vote in Romania's post-communist history. The first hours of voting showed significant turnout both in the country and in the diaspora, a sign of the huge stakes for the future direction of NATO's Eastern flank, Euronews Romania reports. The vote in the diaspora has doubled compared to the first round, while in Romania, the urban voters and the youth have already surpassed their first-round participation. As vote participation is now the decisive election factor, at 12 pm CEST, the historic 1 million votes in the diaspora, including the Republic of Moldova, had been cast. Centrist independent candidate Nicușor Dan voted with his wife in his tranquil Transylvanian hometown of Fagaras. He represents the current pro-EU, pro-NATO course, saying he voted for 'a pro-European direction and for good cooperation with our European partners, and not for Romania's isolation.' Hard-right nationalist candidate George Simion went to vote outside Bucharest with his now-choice for future prime minister, ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, the protagonist of the unprecedented annulled elections and the ensuing political crisis in December. In a talk show on Friday, Simion and Georgescu concluded the campaign side by side to outline their potential doctrines ahead. With Georgescu calling Simion 'George' and 'my protégé', and Simion addressing him as 'Mister Georgescu, from whom I have learned a lot,' the political couple said they will prioritise good relations with the United States. 'We do everything with them, but we also have China, Russia, and Brazil," Georgescu said. "It is unimaginable not to have substantive, non-collegial relationships of minimal respect. We have catching up to do in terms of absorption of EU funds. So far, we have not attracted EU money because of incompetence at the state level.' Simion proclaimed that 'we will not withdraw from any alliance and we will cooperate, as Mister Georgescu says, this is our foreign policy, with all the states of the world.' Repeating a constant reassurance of his campaign, given EU-wide concerns, Simion proclaimed, " We will not withdraw from any alliance.' After voting on Sunday morning outside Bucharest surrounded by multiple bodyguards and supporters, Simion said he voted against 'against the inequities and humiliations to which our sisters and brothers have been subjected here, in the current borders, and everywhere." "I voted against abuses and against poverty, I voted against those who disregard us all. But I also voted for our future," Simion added. Simion and Georgescu were asked by police to leave the polling station when they were about to address the media next to the voting booths, as the law forbids campaigning inside. The social media videos show Simion saying, 'Thank you, mister policeman does not want us to take the media,' before moving outside for the media statements, further adding to the cliffhanger atmosphere in Romania. Georgescu, dubbed the "TikTok Messiah," came out on top in the first round of Romania's presidential election in December 2024, which the country's constitutional court annulled following the declassification of intelligence reports showing Russian involvement in influencing voters through social media to support the then-relatively unknown candidate. Georgescu also continues to face criminal proceedings, including committing anticonstitutional acts and misreporting his campaign finances. The charges also revolve around his support for sympathisers of the Iron Guard, a pre-World War II fascist and antisemitic movement and political party, which is illegal under Romanian law. After voting, former Romanian president and staunch NATO ally Traian Basescu spoke in no uncertain terms. "This is a crucial vote, we are at a crossroads, with clear choices to the West or to the East," Basescu said. "If the choice is pro-Moscow, they will vote for one candidate, and if the choice is pro-Euro-Atlantic, they will vote for another candidate. That's all. It's a decisive day." The estimated 6-million-strong Romanian diaspora, whose votes can decide the election, has been casting their ballots since Friday and has already exceeded the turnout of the first round, in a sign of massive mobilisation for the country's choice and future. On Saturday, Euronews talked to Romanian voters in Belgium, where no less than 29 polling stations have been set up across the country. 'A pro-European future, the possibility of accessing European funds, collaboration with member states, free movement within the European area, and more recently, Schengen, free movement,' said one voter when asked about the choice. In contrast, another one said, 'We voted for something a candidate inspired us to do, something we'd never seen before. We didn't vote for the lesser evil, we voted for what's best for Romania." As the vote can go either way, the deep divisions in Romanian society and their consequences for the country's immediate political and economic evolution will be a massive challenge for whoever wins the election tonight. Meanwhile, Simion has already expressed concerns of alleged voter fraud, stating that in case of his loss on Sunday, his supporters are prepared to protest, with some online posts calling for a Ukraine-style "Maidan" in Bucharest — threats that have added further fuel to the heightened tensions in the country. Follow Euronews Romania's live coverage of the presidential election repeat's runoff here.
Euronews
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Romanians to choose Simion or Dan in presidential vote runoff
Romanians will go to the polls on Sunday to choose between hard-right candidate George Simion and pro-European independent Nicușor Dan, in a presidential election redo expected to shape the country's future. After coming fourth in last year's cancelled race, Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) party, has been backed by surprise winner, ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, who was banned in March from standing in the repeat. Simion then surged to become the frontrunner in the 4 May first round, winning 40.5% of the vote, including a massive 61% of the Romanian diaspora's ballots. Simion says he would focus on reforms: slashing red tape, reducing bureaucracy, and taxes. But he insists that his main goal is to create "a model of economic cooperation and a model of peace". "I will be an example of pro-European, pro-NATO president fighting for the interests of the Romanian nation,' Simion told Euronews and Euronews Romania in Brussels on Thursday. Meanwhile, most recent domestic surveys indicate the runoff has narrowed to a near tie, after earlier ones showed Simion holding a lead over Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and mayor of Bucharest. Dan is running on his own on a pro-EU ticket, supporting economic reform, Western links, and support for Ukraine. He founded the reformist Save Romania Union party in 2016 but later resigned. On Sunday, he noted the rising tensions at a demonstration in Bucharest. 'How did it come to this, that in a country with hardworking, decent people, there is so much hatred and division, that families and circles of friends are torn apart over political opinions?' he said. 'We need to project hope,' he added. Both candidates support the end of Russia's war on Ukraine, but Dan wants Romania to continue supporting its neighbour, while Simion wishes Romania to halt its aid. With so much at stake, both candidates have courted support from European leaders. While Dan is getting support from Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Moldova's President Maia Sandu, Simion is aligning himself more with Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni. Earlier this week, Sandu posted a public message in support of Dan, saying Moldovans understand the value of being 'part of the European family'. The Romanian president's office has a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy.
The Print
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
In Romania vote, centrist mathematician Dan braces for tight battle with hard-right
Whoever is elected president will need to nominate a prime minister and see a new government quickly installed to reduce Romania's budget deficit, the largest in the EU, reassure investors and avoid a credit rating downgrade. A recent survey showed Dan, 55, was neck-and-neck with eurosceptic frontrunner George Simion, who rode a wave of popular anger at mainstream parties to claim a first round win on May 4, triggering the collapse of the country's pro-Western government. By Luiza Ilie BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Bucharest's centrist mayor Nicusor Dan, a quiet mathematician, will face off against the hard-right contender in Sunday's presidential run-off vote, trying to keep Romania on its pro-European Union path and cool market nerves by forming a government. 'Romania cannot afford an adventure at this moment,' Dan told 38-year-old Simion during a recent debate. 'Romania cannot afford to talk about early elections. Romania cannot afford to speak against foreign investors, saying that we will only accept the ones we want.' Dan has promised quick talks with pro-European, pro-NATO parties and has a track record of negotiating majorities as an independent two-term mayor of the Romanian capital city. Simion, who opposes aid to Ukraine and is critical of the EU's leadership, has said he could not rule out snap parliamentary elections to get his desired prime minister and ruling majority. Dan is a Sorbonne-educated mathematician with a history of activism against rampant real estate development and corruption before entering politics. Described as methodical and calm, and a family man, he often walks his daughter to school. Staunchly pro-EU and NATO, he has said Romania's support for Ukraine was crucial for its own security against a growing Russian threat. He has promised to clamp down on corruption and reduce economic inequalities. 'This election isn't just about the president of Romania, but about Romania's entire direction and government over the next years,' said Siegfried Muresan, a vice-chair of the EPP group in the European Parliament and a Romanian MEP. 'A pro-European president will find the power to install a pro-European government,' he said. Russia's war in Ukraine has cast Romania as a key stakeholder for EU trade on the Black Sea and an ally on NATO's eastern flank. The president is in charge of Romania's defence council which decides on military aid and has oversight over foreign policy, with the power to veto EU votes that require unanimity among member states. Whereas Dan has struck a chord with college-educated voters who live in large cities, Simion appeals to the working class diaspora, who are entitled to vote, and residents of small towns and villages, who are feeling left behind. He is campaigning on a 'Romania first' ticket, advocating conservative policies, euroscepticism and close alignment with the U.S. MAGA movement. 'Dan has mostly caught up to Simion, but he needs to address small towns and rural areas,' said Sergiu Miscoiu, a political science professor at Babes-Bolyai University. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; additional reporting by Elizaveta Gladun; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
