Romanians are voting in a presidential election runoff that could bring to power George Simion, an ultranationalist who opposes military aid to Ukraine, criticises the EU’s leadership, and aligns with Donald Trump. Simion, 38, leads the polls ahead of the vote, nearly six months after the original election was cancelled due to alleged Russian influence. A far-right win may shift Romania, which borders Ukraine, away from its pro-western stance and create disruption within the EU and Nato.
Following the cancellation of the election, hard-right politicians globally, including senior Trump administration officials, accused Bucharest of infringing on free speech and disregarding “the voice of the people”. The US vice-president, JD Vance, criticized Romania’s authorities for “cancelling elections because you don’t like the result”.
The original vote last November was won by Călin Georgescu, a far-right, anti-EU, Moscow-leaning independent who reported zero campaign spending yet surged from below 5% days before the vote to finish first at 23%. The constitutional court annulled the vote after declassified intelligence documents disclosed an alleged Russian influence operation, which included multiple cyber-attacks on the electoral IT system and large-scale social media interference in favour of Georgescu.
In February, Georgescu, who denies any misconduct, was placed under investigation for charges including misreporting campaign finances, misuse of digital technology, and promoting fascist groups, and in March he was barred from standing in the rerun.
Simion aims to capitalize on public dissatisfaction over the cancellation and Georgescu’s disqualification. “A strong anti-western trend has evidently developed, putting Romania’s direction at unprecedented risk,” stated Cristian Pîrvulescu, a political scientist.
Similar to the original campaign, social media – particularly TikTok – is playing a significant role. Simion, whose posts blend nationalist rhetoric with emotionally charged delivery and direct-to-camera speeches, has amassed 1.3 million followers on the platform.
“The time for rebirth has come,” he proclaimed in a video posted on Tuesday. “Our nation will rediscover its path… We possess within us the power to be reborn and to advance, more united and stronger.”
