Article originally in the Financial Times. Other articles .
The pro -European centers Nicusor Dan won the second round of the presidential election in Romania on Sunday. He defeated the ultra -nationalist Eurosceptic, who won in the first round of the elections and raised concerns about the pro -Western orientation of the country.
Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and the mayor of the capital Bucharest, won 53.6 percent of the votes on Monday morning, compared to 46.4 percent of George Simion, a former football hooligan who became the leader of the far right Aur Party.
The mayor’s victory ended the months of political and economic confusion, which caused the abolition of the previous vote due to the alleged interference of Russia. Bucharest thus got into the viewfinder of Moscow and Washington and the abolition of the elections divided the country on its further direction.
His high participation helped him
“The elections are not about politicians, but about the communities. And the community that has won today wants fundamental changes,” Dan said to the Cave. He acknowledged the anger of the “community that lost” but promised reforms to combat corruption and improve the rule of law.
It seems that a high, almost 65 % turnout, leaned the scales in favor of Dan, which in the first round gained only 21 percent of the votes cast, just over half of what Simion. The Romanians mobilized because Many perceived Simion’s victory as a threat that their country would turn their backs to NATO, the EU and Ukraine.
Simion admitted to defeat on Monday and said, “We were alone against everyone. I am proud of you and congratulations on my opponent to win.” On Sunday evening, he claimed that he achieved a “clear victory” on behalf of the Romanian people, and said he still believed that all votes would be counted correctly. His spokesman later told Times: “It is very important:” If we are concerned about fraud, we will ask for a recalculation of votes. “
Simion ran to the first place thanks to the anger of the voters to the authorities that abolished the presidential elections last year for the alleged interference of Russia in favor of another ultranationalist candidate Calin Georgesca, who surprisingly won in November in the first round of elections.
Georgescu was forbidden to re -run, but supported Simiona, who said that if he wins, Georgesca would appoint a Prime Minister. Simion said on Sunday that his victory also belongs to Georgesco, and said that his ally “was supposed to be president and is the president of Romania. I want to assure the Romanians to keep my word and he gets to power”.
A difficult task for the new president
The abolition of the elections and Simion’s victory in the first round caused a political and economic crisis, which resigned by the Prime Minister, the value of the Leu currency fell and the country had trouble getting a debt in international markets.
Dan will face a difficult role to appoint the Prime Minister and a functional new government that will be able to accept the reforms needed not to lose rating in the investment zone and access to the Eurofunds. The Simion Party Aur is the second largest parliamentary force, and the largest Romanian party, the Social Democrats who are currently in the coalition government, could join the opposition.
Dan’s voters were clear in Bucharest. “I am excited, today we have shown that Romania is still a country that is fully devoted to NATO and the European Union,” said history student Ianis Turca. In his post X, the European Council President António Costa said: “I sincerely congratulate Nicusor Dan to win the Romanian presidential election. It is a strong signal about the dedication of the Romanians to the European project. I look forward to cooperation with you.”
A researcher at the University of Aarho Costin Cioban said: “This is a great moment for the Romanian democracy. A large number of voters took part in the elections, both at home and abroad, confirming that they trust the election process.” Dan’s victory was “one of the most remarkable returns” of moderate political forces in the modern history of Romania.
According to Ciobanua, Simion worried many voters with his “incalculable behavior” after winning the first round and “statements that raised questions about whether it was a democrat”. “The voters had time to imagine what Simion’s presidency could look like. And many have clearly rejected this perspective.”
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