Romanian election first round rerun won by Ukraine critic
Right-wing candidate George Simion is currently leading the polls with over 40% of the votes. George Simion, a critic of the EU who has been prohibited from entering Ukraine, secured victory in the first round of the rerun of the Romanian presidential...
TroibNews 
Right-wing candidate George Simion is currently leading the polls with over 40% of the votes.
George Simion, a critic of the EU who has been prohibited from entering Ukraine, secured victory in the first round of the rerun of the Romanian presidential election on Sunday.
With over 95% of the ballots counted, Simion, head of the right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians, garnered 40.52% of the votes, as reported by the news website G4 Media.
His opponents, former Senator Crin Antonescu and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, both known for their pro-EU perspectives, each captured just over 20% of the vote.
“This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It is the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country,” Simion remarked following the release of exit polls, according to Reuters.
The election took place after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the results from the previous election held in November, wherein independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu obtained 23% of the vote.
The court referred to “irregularities” in Georgescu’s campaign, alongside intelligence reports alleging Kremlin interference in the election. Moscow denied these allegations of meddling, dismissing them as “anti-Russia hysteria.”
In March, the Central Electoral Bureau disqualified Georgescu from running again, citing his purported “anti-democratic” and “extremist” views, as well as his failure to adhere to electoral procedures.
On Sunday, both Georgescu and Simion appeared at a polling location together. “We are here with a single mission: to restore constitutional order and democracy,” Simion told journalists.
In November 2024, Ukraine's Security Service announced that Simion had been blacklisted for his “systematic anti-Ukrainian activities, which contradict the national interests of Ukraine and violate its state sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Simion contended that his ban stemmed from his “promotion of historical truth” concerning the Romanian minority in western Ukraine. He has also been prohibited from entering neighboring Moldova, which he referred to as “an artificial country” that “will never join the European Union.”
Simion has opposed sending weapons to Kiev, stating, “We will not send military aid to Ukraine, and that doesn’t make us pro-Russian,” during an interview last year.
He has also voiced criticism of EU bureaucrats, asserting, “The EU is a remarkable project that brought peace to Europe after centuries of war, but Brussels has become a greedy and corrupt bubble,” according to the politician.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
George Simion, a critic of the EU who has been prohibited from entering Ukraine, secured victory in the first round of the rerun of the Romanian presidential election on Sunday.
With over 95% of the ballots counted, Simion, head of the right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians, garnered 40.52% of the votes, as reported by the news website G4 Media.
His opponents, former Senator Crin Antonescu and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, both known for their pro-EU perspectives, each captured just over 20% of the vote.
“This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It is the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country,” Simion remarked following the release of exit polls, according to Reuters.
The election took place after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the results from the previous election held in November, wherein independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu obtained 23% of the vote.
The court referred to “irregularities” in Georgescu’s campaign, alongside intelligence reports alleging Kremlin interference in the election. Moscow denied these allegations of meddling, dismissing them as “anti-Russia hysteria.”
In March, the Central Electoral Bureau disqualified Georgescu from running again, citing his purported “anti-democratic” and “extremist” views, as well as his failure to adhere to electoral procedures.
On Sunday, both Georgescu and Simion appeared at a polling location together. “We are here with a single mission: to restore constitutional order and democracy,” Simion told journalists.
In November 2024, Ukraine's Security Service announced that Simion had been blacklisted for his “systematic anti-Ukrainian activities, which contradict the national interests of Ukraine and violate its state sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Simion contended that his ban stemmed from his “promotion of historical truth” concerning the Romanian minority in western Ukraine. He has also been prohibited from entering neighboring Moldova, which he referred to as “an artificial country” that “will never join the European Union.”
Simion has opposed sending weapons to Kiev, stating, “We will not send military aid to Ukraine, and that doesn’t make us pro-Russian,” during an interview last year.
He has also voiced criticism of EU bureaucrats, asserting, “The EU is a remarkable project that brought peace to Europe after centuries of war, but Brussels has become a greedy and corrupt bubble,” according to the politician.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
