Far-Right Candidate George Simion Leads in Romania’s Presidential Election Re-Run

Far-right politician George Simion emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of Romania’s presidential election re-run on Sunday, securing over 40.2% of the vote, according to the Romanian Permanent Electoral Authority with more than 98% of ballots counted.

Simion, leader of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), outpaced centrist candidates Nicușor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, who received 20.8%, and Crin Antonescu of the ruling Social Democratic Party, who followed closely with 20.5%. As no candidate reached the 50%+1 majority required to win outright, a runoff will be held on May 18.

The 38-year-old Simion is a polarizing figure, known for his ultra-nationalist rhetoric and skepticism toward the European Union. This re-run follows the annulment of the original November 2024 election by Romania’s Constitutional Court, which voided the results due to alleged manipulation in favor of pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu.