Pure excitement: Romania votes – who will win the presidential runoff election?

Pure excitement: Romania votes – who will win the presidential runoff election?

The runoff election for the presidency will take place on May 18, 2025, a crucial day for Romanian politics. Almost 19 million Romanians who are eligible to vote are going to the polls, both at home and abroad. The first round of the presidential election had already caused a stir when George Simion, a far-right candidate, took the lead with around 41% of the vote, but fell short of an absolute majority. Nicusor Dan, the non-party mayor of Bucharest, followed him with 21% of the vote, closely followed by Crin Antonescu, the candidate of the bourgeois-social democratic government, who scored around 20.3% and admitted defeat

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The upcoming runoff election is predicted to be a neck-and-neck race between Simion and Dan. Recent polls suggest that Dan has gained approval, with an IRSOP poll showing him at 52%, while Simion is at just 48%. An alternative poll by AtlasIntel puts him at 48.7% and Simion at 47.8%. These close results suggest a very tense election, with tens of thousands of votes potentially making the difference. The first exit polls will be published at 9 p.m. and given the history of the last election, public attention is particularly high.

Candidates in focus

George Simion stood out in the election campaign for his ties to Călin Georgescu, a far-right pro-Russian candidate. Georgescu, whose victory in the first round of the 2024 presidential election was invalidated due to irregularities, will not be allowed to run again as he is currently under investigation by prosecutors. Simion's campaign has strongly emphasized that, if he wins, he wants to use presidential power to support Georgescu, possibly in a future role as prime minister.

Nicusor Dan, on the other hand, presents himself as a liberal and non-party candidate who has gained significant support among voters. He has focused on promoting both social and economic stability in Romania and represents a clear pro-Western stance, particularly regarding military aid to Ukraine, in contrast to Simion's negative stance.

Election background and political landscape

The upcoming presidential elections follow a history marked by scandals. The 2024 elections had to be canceled due to Russian interference and other irregularities. Romania, as a member of the European Union and NATO, is at a crucial turning point as the President sets key guidelines for foreign and security policy.

Additionally, the current voting trend for the 2028 parliamentary elections shows that AUR, Simion's party, is at 31.1%, followed by PSD at 21.2%. These developments could have a decisive impact on Romania's future political climate. A stable majority to form a government requires 166 of the 330 MPs, and political pressure will continue to increase depending on the outcome of the presidential election.

Overall, Romania faces a critical election that could determine not only the fate of the candidates but also the future direction of the country.