Nationalist George Simion ahead in Romanian presidential election, exit polls show

Nationalist candidate George Simion won the first round of Romania’s presidential election with over 30% of the votes, while the score of the two pro-West coalition candidates, Crin Antonescu and the independent Nicușor Dan, both hovering at just over 20%, are too close to call for the second place, several Romanian exit polls show.

The pre-election polls all pointed to Simion as the winner of the first round. However, the score of independent candidate Dan, the mayor of Bucharest and an outsider, surprised and sent a clear message to the government coalition, which got together to nominate Crin Antonescu as the main party’s candidate.

Romania faces a tough battle for the second round in two weeks, having to choose between an inward, nationalist candidate and a pro-EU and pro-NATO one.

All leaders announced they would wait for the final results, but Simion already declared his win a “victory for Romania’s dignity” and called for vigilance in counting the votes to prevent any fraud.

Simion has been riding an anti-establishment vote fuelled by ex-presidential candidate, ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, whose victory in the cancelled elections in December 2024 has thrown Romania into unprecedented turmoil..

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