Choice of fate in Romania: Simion against Dan - a race for the future!

Choice of fate in Romania: Simion against Dan - a race for the future!

Bukarest, Rumänien - On Sunday there is a decisive presidential election in Romania. The race runs between George Simion, the top candidate of the Aur Nationalist Party, and Nicușor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest. The renowned Romanian investigative journalist Adrian Mihălțianu describes this election as a "choice of fate" for Romania and shows that the echo of this decision extends far beyond the national borders. Mihălțianu finds that an aggressive and polarized political mood shapes the country and expects an extremely scarce race because the undecided and non -voters could be decisive. He describes Simion as a favorite that convinced large parts of the population with his positions, while Dan is considered a pro-European and pro-Nato, but is perceived as politically moderate.

The previous round of elections, which was canceled by the constitutional court due to illegal election influence by Russia, brought surprising results. Simion received around 41 percent of the vote, while Dan achieved almost 21 percent. Călin Georgescu, who took the lead in the first round, was finally excluded from the repetition choice, the judgment defended Mihălțianu. Simion Plant to nominate Georgescu in the event of a victory as Prime Minister. This arouses concern with many Romanians, as a victory in Simion could result in an authoritarian, Russia -friendly policy.

political climate and social unrest

The political situation in Romania is tense. Despite a doubled GDP in the past ten years, there has been growing dissatisfaction, especially in remote regions. This has been reinforced by the blockade of the Romanian Schengen join by the Austrian government and has led to political alienation and frustration. Many Romanians abroad do not feel sufficiently recognized, which gives the right -wing extremist policy of Simion additional buoyancy. His campaign slogan "Respect" is particularly well received by the protest voters who are looking for an alternative to the traditional parties.

George Simion has pro-Russian agendas and could theoretically form an anti-European block with countries such as Slovakia and Hungary. Among the other candidates, the former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, with anti-European and Prorussian views, as well as Crin Antonescu, who is liberal, could still move into the runoff election. These alternatives increase the pressure on Nicușor Dan, who has difficulty mobilizing voters in rural areas.

The role of international actors

For more information about the choice and the candidates, take a look at the detailed analysis of Kurier.at.