Polls open in tight presidential runoff – DW – 05/18/2025

The previous presidential election, held in November, saw far-right, pro-Russian political outsider Calin Georgescu surprisingly come out on top in the first round.

The vote was later annulled by Romania’s constitutional court, which found irregularities in the financing and organization of the leading campaign.

Alleged electoral violations included the activation of thousands of previously inactive social media accounts to spread pro-Georgescu messaging as part of an “aggressive Russian hybrid attack,” which Moscow denies.

Romanian public prosecutors in February opened an investigation into Georgescu, who had been banned from standing again in May’s rerun. 

George Simion, representing the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), has counted on support from disgruntled Georgescu voters.

Many are concerned not only by high inflation and the increasing cost of living in the European Union country but are now also influenced by populist conspiracy theories regarding the cancellation of the original vote. 

Simion has described his AUR party, which promotes “family, nation, faith and freedom,” as “perfectly aligned with the MAGA [President Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’] movement” in the US and has not ruled out appointing Georgescu as prime minister should he win.

Simion’s challenger is incumbent Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016. He is running on a pro-EU “Honest Romania” platform.

Acknowledging the issues facing Romanians, he said the Eastern European country needs a president “who has the will and the ability to reform the system.”

Polls opened for the second round of the Romanian Presidential election, with a high voter turnout expected.

Around 53%, or 9.5 million people, of the population voted in the first round on May 4, and hard-right candidate George Simion topped the first round, gaining 41% of the vote. 

He is now facing off against pro-EU Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, who came second in the May 4 vote.

Pro-EU Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu resigned following the first round, saying his ruling coalition had “no legitimacy” after populist Simion secured over 40% of the vote.

Romanians are casting their ballots on Sunday to elect a new president in a tense runoff between a hard-right nationalist and a pro-EU centrist. 

The race pits George Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, against incumbent Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan.

The vote comes months after the cancelation of the previous election — over allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference — plunged Romania into its worst political crisis in decades.

DW will bring you the latest news and analysis regarding the election. Stay tuned for more.