Romania elects new president for the second time in a year: critic of aid to Ukraine leads
On Sunday, May 4, the first round of a repeat presidential election began in Romania, after the results of the previous vote, held in November 2024, were annulled by the Constitutional Court due to foreign interference and massive social media manipulation. About this informs DW.
The Central Election Commission has opened 18,979 polling stations that will be open until 9:00 p.m. The first exit polls are expected immediately after the polling stations close. 11 candidates were allowed to participate in the voting. If none of them gets more than 50% of the votes, the second round will be held on May 18.
Among the favorites of the campaign is the leader of the far-right party George Simion, who speaks from nationalist and Eurosceptic positions. According to the latest polls, he can count on about 30% of support, which is not enough to win the first round. A particularly high level of his support was recorded among Romanians living abroad who already started voting on Friday.
His main rivals are centrist politicians Crin Antonescu, a former senator who is supported by the parties of the current pro-Western coalition, and independent candidate Nikušor Dan, the current mayor of Bucharest with a pronounced anti-corruption rhetoric. Both advocate Romania’s Euro-Atlantic integration and support for Ukraine.
Former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who switched from left-center positions to conservative nationalism, ranks fourth in the ratings.
It will be recalled that last November, the first round of the presidential elections was won by the populist Celin Georgescu, but after the statements of the Romanian special services about the hybrid influence of Russia, the voting results were declared invalid. The court decided to hold new elections.
Simion is known for his provocative statements. He supports the idea of uniting Romania with Moldova, which is why he was repeatedly refused entry to Chisinau. In addition, he opposes the supply of weapons to Ukraine, where he has been banned from entering since 2018. This is what he is about said in a video posted on Facebook. At the same time, Simion publicly condemned Putin’s aggression.
One of his associates, Claudiu Tarziu, in 2024 expressed claims to Ukrainian territories — Northern Bukovyna, Transcarpathia and part of Bessarabia. The candidate is also distinguished by rhetoric against the EU and the LGBT community, which causes significant polarization among voters.
