Bucarest mayor Nicusor Dan won Romania’s presidential elections on Sunday on a surprising turnaround on a far-right nationalist rival who had promised to put Romania in a path inspired by US President Donald Trump’s politics.
Official results from almost all electoral sections showed that Dan obtained about 54% of votes from the country’s member of the European Union and NATO, with about 19 million people, while Trump’s supporter George Simion was 46%.
Dan, 55, a soft speech mathematician, made a last -minute race to the top, after weeks behind Simion, a Euro -a -toe who wanted to end up with military aid to Ukraine in his war with Russia. The election had the highest percentage of voter attendance in a Romanian election in 25 years.
Simion, who was the most voted candidate in the first round of the election two weeks ago, with 41% of the votes, admitted the defeat after saying that he had won the election.
Dan campaigned with the promise of combating unbridled corruption, maintaining support for Ukraine – where Romania has played an important logistical role – and keep the country firmly within the European current.
On Sunday night, in the Bucarest capital, Dan’s supporters shouted “Russia, don’t forget, Romania is not yours.” Strongly in favor of the EU and NATO, Dan said, during the period before the election, that Romania’s support to Ukraine was crucial to his own safety against the growing Russian threat.
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy congratulated Dan for the “historical victory”, writing on social media: “For Ukraine – as a neighbor and friend – it’s important to have Romania as a reliable partner.”
Kremlin called Romania’s presidential elections “at the very least strange” on Monday.
The vote in Romania occurred on the same day as the first round of the Polish election, in which liberal candidate Rafal Trzaskowski was ahead of Karol Nawrockki, the candidate supported by the Nationalist Law and Justice (PIS).
