Bucharest, Romania - Pro-European Union candidates in Romania's tense presidential runoff dominate the polls, with preliminary election data showing that the geopolitical direction of NATO members could be decided in a vote against a tough nationalist.
The match puts the leader George Simion, 38, the Romanian or Aur Unified Alliance, against the current mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan. It was held a few months after the cancellation of the pre-election, and for decades, Romania was in its worst political crisis.
According to official data, after calculating 8.5 million votes of 11.6 million votes, Dan led by 53.56%, while Simion led by 46.44%.
Thousands of people gathered outside Dan headquarters near Bucharest City Hall, waiting for the final result, shouting "Nicksol!". Whenever his leadership progresses, his leadership expands, and the crowds, many people waving European flags, cheer.
When the vote closed at 9 p.m., official election data showed voter turnout at 64%. Since Friday's dedicated polling station, about 1.64 million Romanians have been able to vote.
Dan told the media that “the election is not about politicians” but about the community, and in Sunday’s vote, “a Romanian wins the victory, and this community hopes for a profound change in Romania.”
"When Romania has been through tough times, let's remember the power of this Romanian society," he said. "There is another community that has lost the elections today. One community is rightly doing politics in Romania and is angry about it."
Turnout is significantly higher in Sunday’s runoff and is expected to play a decisive role in the results. In the first round of the match on May 4, the final turnout accounted for 53% of qualified voters.
Romania's political landscape was overturned last year, when the Supreme Court, the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu, ranked first in the first round of polls after Moscow denied allegations of election violations and Russian intervention.
After the polls ended, standing on the steps of the Romanian huge communist-era parliamentary building, Simion predicted a huge victory, which he called “the victory of the Romanian people.” Simion said Georgescu "should be the president" before last year's election was abolished. He also called for vigilance about election fraud, but said he was satisfied with the voting behavior.
Shortly after 6 p.m., Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Tarnea said in an article on X that the election was subject to "viral movement of fake news" on telegram messaging apps and other social media platforms, trying to influence the election process and trying to influence "a sign of Russian intervention."
Throughout Romania's election cycle, networks that coordinate disinformation have become a universal force. Tanya said Romanian authorities have debunked the flood of fake news.
Simion appeared with Georgescu at the Bucharest poll station on Sunday and told reporters he voted against the “humiliation our sisters and brothers suffered” vote.
Years of popular corruption and growing anger at Romanian political institutions have sparked support for anti-establishment and tough figures, reflecting a broader model throughout Europe. Both Simion and Dan made their political professions rail the old political class in Romania.
Recent local surveys have shown that runoff will be tight, after earlier people have shown that Simion is leading the way over 55-year-old mathematician Dan, who became a civic activist fighting illegal real estate projects.
After the vote in his hometown of Fagaras, Dan told reporters that he voted for “quiet, honest and hardworking Romanians and who have not felt represented for a long time” and “strong cooperation with our European partners, not for Romania’s isolation.”
Dan formed the Reformists Save Romanian Coalition in 2016, but later left and ran independently on pro-European Union tickets, reaffirming Western tie, support for Ukraine and fiscal reforms.
Simion's remarks in Sunday's leadership raised some concerns that if he lost, he would not respect the result. In the afternoon, he told reporters that if the election is "free and fair", his team is full of confidence in "landslide victory".
However, he repeated the charges that Romanian referendums near Moldova are irregular and said his party members will vote in parallel after the polls are over. He told the Associated Press that so far the ballots have been carried out correctly.
Adrian Nadin, 51, who supported Georgescu in the last election, said he chose Simion.
"A part of Romania prefers conservatism," he said.
Luminita Petrache, a 32-year-old financial crime analyst, doesn't want to say who she voted for, but instead describes runoff as a geopolitical choice between the East and the West.
"It's very important because the next president will be our image in Europe and (decide) how Romania will develop in the next five years," she said. "I hope the change in Romania is good."
The president was elected for five years and has significant decision-making power in national security and foreign policy. The winner of Sunday's game will be charged with nominating a new prime minister after Marcel Ciolacu's resignation and his league candidate failed to advance to runoff.
After finishing fourth in the match cancelled last year, Simion supports Georgescu, who was banned from election redoing in March. Then, Simion became the first round on May 4, running forward after becoming the standard driver of the hard right hand.
Simion, a former activist who united with neighboring Moldova, said he focused on reform: cutting the traditional tape festival and reducing bureaucracy and taxation. Nevertheless, he insisted that restoring democracy was his priority and returning the “will of the people.”
His AUR party said it represents "family, nation, faith and freedom" and stands out in the 2020 parliamentary elections. Since then, it has become the second largest party in the Romanian legislature.
His critics say Simien is a pro-Russian extremist who threatens Romania's long-term alliance in the EU and NATO.
In an interview with the Associated Press, he rejected the allegations, saying Russia was the biggest threat to his country and that he hoped Romania would be seen as an "equal companion" in Brussels.
"I don't think he's a pro-Russian candidate, nor do I think he's an anti-Russian candidate," said Claudiu Tufis, associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest. "I think what drives him is...he's focused on what I call identity politics."
In the first round of voting, Simion won 61% of the votes from large Romanian diaspora, whose call for patriotism sparked calls from Romanians, who moved abroad.