George Simion, leader of Romania’s right-wing nationalist AUR party, has won in the first round of the re-run presidential election, taking 41 per cent of the vote and winning 36 of the country’s 47 electoral districts.
Simion’s victory may mean he will now face anti-establishment candidate and Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan who came in second on 21 per cent in the run-off set for May 18.
“This is more than a political victory. It is a triumph of Romanian dignity, of those who never gave up hope in a free, sovereign Romania,” Simion told cheering supporters following the result.
His win came just months after a previous presidential election attempt was scrapped due to alleged Russian interference aimed at boosting outsider and right-wing figure Calin Georgescu, who was banned from running in this contest.
During the first election in November, Simion only won 14 per cent. This time, he appeared to have capitalised on the vacuum left by Georgescu’s exclusion, surging ahead as the dominant nationalist voice.
Speaking after his victory, Simion referenced US President Donald Trump.
“We are a Trumpist party that will govern Romania and make it a strong NATO ally and a committed partner of the United States,” he told foreign media.
Speaking to Brussels Signal on May 5, George Simion vowed to vowed to maintain a defiant tone toward EU institutions.
“I come to Brussels with peace and reason, not conflict and provocation. The European Union has 27 nations, each with its own language, heritage, and challenges. A one-size-fits-all, Brussels-centered model cannot work for all. This is a very obvious, common-sense fact,” he said.
Simion went on to stress his alignment with other EU national-conservative figures: “The conservative movement within the EU, which I am proudly a part of, demands respect, not reprimand. Along with Mrs. Meloni, Mr. Morawiecki, we believe in a European Union of sovereign nations, united by cooperation, not coerced by bureaucracy,” he said.
Openly critical of European Union leadership and a vocal opponent of military aid to Ukraine, Simion lead a wave of public frustration at Romania’s political elite.
His AUR party, once a fringe protest movement during the Covid 19 pandemic, has evolved as the main party in Romania.
Framing the election as a battle between “traditional politicians beholden to foreign interests” and his nationalist project, Simion declared in November 2024: “We represent the forgotten Romanians. The ones abandoned by the system.”
While congratulations have poured in from European right-wing figures including Spain’s VOX leader Santiago Abascal and the European Conservative party (ECR), Brussels has so far remained silent.
Simion’s success has added momentum to a growing rightward shift across the EU as nationalist forces have continued to gain ground.
