Bucharest’s two-term mayor, Nicusor Dan, won 54% of the votes, the electoral authority reported on Monday (May 19), to beat nationalist George Simion, who gained 46% of the votes.
“We need to build Romania together irrespective of who you voted for,” Nicusor Dan said once his victory was secure.
Nicusor Dan, who made his name fighting corrupt property developers, said voters seeking “profound change, functioning state institutions, less corruption, a prosperous economy and a society of dialogue, not hate, have won”.
Nicusor Dan has fought off a strong challenge from Romanian right-wing nationalist George Simion to win the presidency after months of political turbulence. Simion, the leader of the far-right AUR party, won a dramatic first-round victory on Sunday (May 4), riding a wave of anger from Romanians who had seen the presidential race annulled in December 2024 because of claims of Russian interference.
Sunday’s election drew a voter turnout of about 65%, the highest in 25 years, amid the threat of turning Romania away from Europe and towards Russia. The result of the race, viewed as crucial for the direction of the NATO member country and having wider geopolitical implications for Europe, has been warmly welcomed by the European Union and Ukraine.