The first round of the Romanian presidential election began on the morning of May 4. This time, far-right Eurosceptic George Simion could come to power.
Points of attention
- The voting process involves 11 candidates and will lead to a second round in two weeks between the top two contenders from the first round.
- The outcome of the election could potentially shape Romania's political landscape with implications for its stance on European integration and foreign policy.
Presidential elections in Romania — what's important to know
As mentioned earlier, the results of the previous first round, held in November 2024, were annulled by the Constitutional Court.
The controversial populist Calin Georgescu won then, but the results had to be annulled due to manipulation on social media and interference from abroad.
All polling stations will be open from 07:00 to 21:00. This time, 11 candidates are running for the presidency.
After the official vote count and announcement of the results by the Central Election Bureau, a second round of elections will be organized in two weeks, on May 18, in which the two leaders of the first round will meet.
There is a high probability that the country will be led by the far-right Eurosceptic George Simeon.
His key rivals are two centrists:
65-year-old former senator Crin Antonescu, who is supported by three parties of the current pro-Western government:
The 55-year-old mayor of Bucharest, Nicosor Dan, is running as an independent candidate with an anti-corruption platform.
What is important to understand is that both Antonescu and Dan actively support Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO.
