Romania’s hard-right candidate to face pro-EU reformist in polls

Bucharest: After decisively winning the most votes in Romania’s first-round presidential election redo, hard-right nationalist George Simion will face a pro-Western reformist in a pivotal runoff in two weeks that could reshape the European Union and NATO member country’s geopolitical direction.

Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, far outpaced all other candidates in the polls

with 40.96% of the vote, according to official electoral data, after all votes were counted from Sunday’s election.

In second place was reformist Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan with 20.99%.

The runoff will be held on May 18 between the two staunchly anti-establishment candidates but ideological opposites, who have made their political careers railing against Romania’s old political class.

Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, ran on a pro-EU ticket, told

the media early Monday that “a difficult second round lies ahead, against an isolationist candidate.”

“This was a democratic process that Romania needed … this won’t be a debate between individuals, it will be a debate between a pro-Western direction for Romania and an anti-Western one,” he said. “I call on all Romanians to be part of this battle, and I am optimistic that we will win.”

In third place was the governing coalition’s joint candidate, Crin Antonescu, with 20.07%, and behind him Victor Ponta,

a former prime minister from 2012-2015, with 13% of the vote, while Elena Lasconi, who came second in last year’s first round ballot, only obtained about 2.6%.

Final turnout stood at 9.57 million people — or 53.2% of eligible voters, according to data from the electoral authorities.

Last year’s election was annulled after the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.

The election redo took place months after an annulled vote plunged the country into its worst political crisis in decades.

Simion, who came fourth in last year’s race and later backedGeorgescu, said in a pre-recorded speech aired after polls closed Sunday that, “I am here to restore constitutional order. ”

“I want democracy, I want normalcy, and I have a single objective: to give back to the Romanian people what was taken from them and to place at the center of decision-making the ordinary, honest, dignified people,” he said.