Romania’s first round of presidential elections: far-right Simion wins

Far-right leader George Simion has won the first round of the Romanian presidential election, and his rival in the second round will be pro-European politician and Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan.

This outcome was reported by Reuters and Digi24.ro with reference to the official election results.

Bucharest Mayor Nicuşor Dan came in second with 20.99%, while Simion garnered 40.94%. The candidate of the ruling coalition, Crin Antonescu, received 20.13% of the vote.

Voting abroad showed an even bigger advantage for Simion, who received 60% of the vote, while Dan received 26%.

These two candidates will compete for the presidency in the second round on May 18.

“This is not just an electoral victory—it is a victory of Romania’s dignity. It is a victory of those who have not lost hope, who still believe in a free, respected, sovereign Romania,” Simion stated.

Earlier, Romanian presidential candidate Simion said he would demand compensation from Ukraine for the Patriot system and other military aid.

Nicusor Dan previously stated that maintaining military support for Ukraine is necessary for the security of his country.

On December 1, Romania held parliamentary elections in which Simion’s AUR party and two other far-right forces won about 35% of the seats.

Earlier, Simion said that if he wins the presidential election, he could provide a leadership position to another far-right politician, Calin Georgescu, who was banned from running after the results of the previous election in December 2024 were cancelled due to external interference in favor of Georgescu.