Romania Votes Again After Scandal-Riddled Election Annulment

Sun May 04 2025 13:02:17 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)
Romania Votes Again After Scandal-Riddled Election Annulment

In a follow-up election, Romanians are tasked with selecting a new president after a controversial prior vote was voided.


Amidst allegations of fraud and international scrutiny, Romanian voters are poised to cast their ballots once again in a rerun presidential election. The previous election, held on November 24, faced severe backlash leading to its annulment, particularly impacting Calin Georgescu, a radical candidate barred from participating this time. The current race features a nationalist, George Simion, alongside three centrists, with potential implications for Romania's geopolitical stance and its support for Ukraine.

Romanians will try again to elect a new president today, six months after the first attempt ended in scandal and confusion. A radical outsider with mystical leanings, Calin Georgescu, came first on 24 November, but that result was annulled over allegations of campaign fraud and Russian interference. In February, US Vice President JD Vance sharply criticised Romania for that decision, sending shockwaves through a Romanian political establishment that leans heavily on its special relationship with the US. Georgescu was nevertheless barred from taking part in today's rerun.

This election pits a nationalist, George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), against three centrists: the popular mayor of Bucharest Nicusor Dan; Crin Antonescu, a liberal who represents the governing Social-Democrat and National Liberal coalition; and Elena Lasconi, an independent. Seven other candidates are on the ballot paper. If no candidate wins over 50% of the vote, a run-off between the first two candidates will be held on 18 May.

"This election is not about one candidate or another, but about every Romanian who has been lied to, ignored, humiliated, and still has the strength to believe and defend our identity and rights," Simion posted on X on Friday. Opinion polls— notoriously unreliable in Romania— suggest that he will come first today, then will face a tough contest with either Nicusor Dan or Crin Antonescu in the run-off.

The result is awaited nervously in European capitals, Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow. Romania is an important transit route for weapon systems and ammunition to Ukraine. The country has a US missile defence shield at Deveselu, and three major airbases from which NATO flies air policing missions up to the border of Ukraine and Moldova, and out over the Black Sea. Ukraine exports 70% of its grain down the Black Sea coast, through Romanian territorial waters, towards Istanbul. The Romanian navy demines those waters, and the Romanian air force trains Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s. The Trump administration is reassessing its commitment to Romania. A visa-waiver agreement was abruptly cancelled on the eve of the election.

"Forget about any more help to Ukraine if Simion becomes president," says George Scutaru, a security expert at the New Strategy Center in Bucharest. As head of the National Security Council, the president can veto any decision and has a strong influence on security policy. But Scutaru expresses "prudent optimism" that one of the centrists will win the run-off.

Public resentment at Romanian financial support for Ukrainian refugees has been a central plank in Simion's campaign, though he denies he is pro-Russian.

On a baking May afternoon, crowds of sightseers throng the gardens of the Cotroceni Palace, the presidential residence in the west of Bucharest. The decision by interim President Ilie Bolojan to open the buildings and gardens to the public is very popular among the visitors. White and purple irises line the paths beneath ancient horse chestnuts in full flower. A military band marches among flowerbeds of pansies and violets. The palace is a former monastery, converted in the 17th century, which became home to the Romanian royal family in the 19th century.

"I can't really imagine Simion in here…" Ionut, a satirical writer, tells me beside an ornate waterfall, looking up at the palace walls. He voted for Simion in the first round of the election last November, out of anger at the constant delays to Romania's full membership of the Schengen free-travel zone. And frustration with Romania's outgoing president, Klaus Iohannis. But Romania finally joined the Schengen land-borders on 1 January, and Iohannis stepped aside the same month. "Romanians are less angry now," he believes. He told his daughter he will vote for Nicusor Dan in this election, but hasn't quite made up his mind.

Ana, a management consultant, walking with her family through the palace gardens, also supports Nicusor Dan. "I want to vote for both continuity and change," she says. "Continuity in Romania's relationship with Europe, but change as far as corruption is concerned. We young people don't relate to the old parties anymore," - something Nicusor Dan has in common with Simion.

Many in Romania's large diaspora—a million are registered to vote—have already cast their ballots, especially in Spain, Italy, Germany, and the UK. They are invisible in opinion polls and could easily sway the final result.

MORE ON THEME

Sun, 04 May 2025 00:36:25 GMT

**Mark Carney's Election Win: Shaping Canada's Trade Relations with the US**

Sun, 04 May 2025 00:36:25 GMT
Sun, 04 May 2025 00:02:35 GMT

VE Day Reflections: Transatlantic Bonds Tested by New Challenges

Sun, 04 May 2025 00:02:35 GMT
Sat, 03 May 2025 22:51:21 GMT

Singapore's Ruling Party Solidifies Power Amid Economic Concerns

Sat, 03 May 2025 22:51:21 GMT
Sat, 03 May 2025 19:37:35 GMT

Strategic Moves: Carney Invites King Charles III Ahead of High-Stakes Trump Meeting

Sat, 03 May 2025 19:37:35 GMT
Sat, 03 May 2025 19:35:22 GMT

Singapore Voters Rally Behind Ruling Party Amid Economic Fears

Sat, 03 May 2025 19:35:22 GMT
Sat, 03 May 2025 16:48:32 GMT

**Ukraine Dismisses Russian Cease-Fire Proposal as Insufficient**

Sat, 03 May 2025 16:48:32 GMT
Sat, 03 May 2025 13:33:07 GMT

**Albanese Secures Second Term in Landmark Election Victory**

Sat, 03 May 2025 13:33:07 GMT
Sat, 03 May 2025 04:36:46 GMT

The Silent Crisis: Families of Missing Russian Soldiers in Ukraine Face Uncertainty

Sat, 03 May 2025 04:36:46 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 20:14:42 GMT

Economic Struggles Take Center Stage in Australia's Upcoming Elections

Fri, 02 May 2025 20:14:42 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Carney's Strategic Initiatives: A Royal Invitation and a Challenge Ahead with Trump

Fri, 02 May 2025 18:00:00 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 16:52:59 GMT

Trump's Influence Casts Shadow Over Australia's Election Landscape

Fri, 02 May 2025 16:52:59 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 15:39:37 GMT

Australia's Election Shadowed by Trump's Influence

Fri, 02 May 2025 15:39:37 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 15:05:50 GMT

Rubio Takes Command: Loyalty and Strategy in Trump’s Changing Foreign Policy

Fri, 02 May 2025 15:05:50 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 10:10:31 GMT

Escalating Violence in Ukraine During Cease-Fire Talks

Fri, 02 May 2025 10:10:31 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 09:25:52 GMT

South Korea's Political Crisis Deepens: A Nation in Uncertainty

Fri, 02 May 2025 09:25:52 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 09:23:53 GMT

Understanding the Complex Dynamics of Recent Conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine

Fri, 02 May 2025 09:23:53 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 07:04:09 GMT

US Officials Reflect on the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine

Fri, 02 May 2025 07:04:09 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 04:34:00 GMT

The Trump Influence Shifts Focus in Australian Election

Fri, 02 May 2025 04:34:00 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 04:32:42 GMT

Australia’s Climate Dilemma: The Stakes of the Upcoming National Election

Fri, 02 May 2025 04:32:42 GMT
Fri, 02 May 2025 03:56:54 GMT

Ongoing Challenges in Ukraine Conflict Highlighted by US Officials

Fri, 02 May 2025 03:56:54 GMT

Follow us

© 2024 SwissX REDD UK ltd. All Rights Reserved.