Nationalist Simion leads to the first round of Romania’s presidential election
Nationalist George Simion is expected to lead to the first round of the repetition of the Romanian presidential election canceled in November. At the end of election day, with a lower activity of voters last year, predictive data were announced, but they did not include nearly one million voted abroad. Therefore, they should be taken with a dose of skepticism for the end result.
The big intrigue is who will face him in the second round, with two pro -European candidates competing for the second place.
The turnout is 53.2%, and the first data of the Avangarde Agency indicates:
- George Simion 30%
- Crin Antonescu 23%
- Nikushor Dan 23%
- Victor Ponta 15%
- Elena Laskoni 4%
- The remaining 4-5%
The other two sociological agencies give Simion over 36%, and the next two-20-21% each (INSCOP, but this is a telephone consultation without accreditation by the CEC) and, respectively, over 33% and 21-23% (Curs and Ara, which, like Avangarde, are accredited by the CEC).
Krin Antonescu is a representative of the ruling coalition of the status quo, and Nikushor Dan is an independent reformer, mayor of Bucharest coming from the non -governmental sector.
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Simion left no doubt about who the camp was coming because he voted with Kalin George, who was forbidden to run while accused of participating in a fascist organization and how his campaign was financed last year, when he surprisingly popped out of the periphery to the first place in the first round.
In his first statement, after announcing the election predictions, Simion declared on a video link that he remained loyal to George and promised his voters not to convey their confidence.
The vote of the diaspora can be decisive for both Simion’s lead, and for whom it will compete with on May 18. In November, Romanians abroad also voted massively for George. It is now believed that Nikushor Dan can get more support there than Antonescu.
Reuters defines George Simion as a Eurosceptic, and the vote as a test for the rise of nationalism in Donald Trump in the European Union. He opposes military assistance to neighboring Ukraine, criticizes the EU leadership and says he is all in alliance with the Movement « Make America again the Great » of the President of the United States.
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His victory in the run -off can isolate the country, undermine private investments and destabilize the Eastern NATO flank, where Ukraine is fighting a three -year Russian invasion, political observers say.
- He called for the restoration of the boundaries of Romania from 1940, which include territories, now in Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine, and is forbidden to enter the last two.
- He built his Aur party from a marginal anti -vascular group during the Covid pandemic to the second largest in Romania in just six years, turning to the diaspora of the working class and young voters and using public anger against leading politicians.
- A conservative Christian, he supported the 2018 unsuccessful referendum in a change in Romania’s constitution to prevent same -sex couples to ever be married.
- Election authorities are investigating the financing of his campaign after he announced that he has not spent any online promotion, despite evidence of paid content on social media platforms.
- He has been investigated for incitement to violence after saying that the election staff who have banned George to run again should be torn.
Crin Antonescu is a 65-year-old former leader of the ruling coalition Liberal Party and a 1992 MP who, after political posts, has not retired from politics a decade ago.
- It is supported by the left -wing Social Democrats (SDP), its liberals and the ethnic Hungarian party, which constitutes the pro -Western coalition government of Romania.
- In 2012, he and Victor Ponta tried to overthrow the then Centrist President Traian Busescu, which sparked fears in Brussels about the rule of law.
- He briefly acting a temporary president, but the impression referendum against Basescu eventually failed.
- After withdrawing from politics, Antonescu lived in Brussels with his wife, Adina Valean, a member of the European Parliament, who was also Commissioner for Transport.
Antonescu supports the increase in defense and support for Ukraine, while remains firmly linked to the EU and NATO. Supports the introduction of civil unions for same -sex couples.
The 55-year-old mayor of Sofia Nikushor Dan two terms are running as an independent centrist with the Honest Romania list and a hard pro-EU and NATO position.
- A mathematician with French education, he was an activist defending buildings with historical heritage in Bucharest before entering politics
- It was campaigning for anti -corruption policy, elimination of bureaucracy and reform of public administration based on merit.
- He was criticized for his relationship with businessman Mihai Paun, who in the past praised Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media and had a business relationship in Belarus and Russia.
- Dan was also criticized that as mayor – to stop unbridled and unregulated construction – he actually delayed the issuance of legal construction permits, including hospitals and EU -funded Holocaust Museum.
- Dan supports the increase in defense costs to 3.5% of GDP in stages by 2030, from the current just over 2% in 2024, and supports Ukraine.
Preliminary results are expected to start appearing later on Sunday night.
Here are the first exit gender data from three agencies:
