On Sunday, May 18, Romania is holding the second round of its presidential elections. The runoff pits two candidates with sharply contrasting views against each other: pro-Western Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan and George Simion, the leader of the right-wing AUR party known for his criticism of Ukraine and the European Union.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. and will close at 9:00 p.m. local time. Romanian citizens living abroad have been able to vote since Friday.
George Simion, who opposes military aid to Ukraine and holds a skeptical view of EU policies, won the first round with 40.94% of the vote. His opponent, Nicușor Dan, who received 20.99%, is a strong supporter of the EU and NATO and advocates for continued support of Ukraine as part of Romania’s security strategy.
Pre-election polls suggested that both candidates have roughly equal levels of support. However, analysts warn that these surveys do not account for the opinions of Romania’s large diaspora, whose votes could prove decisive.
Experts emphasize that the outcome of the election will largely depend on voter turnout and the participation of Romanians abroad, making the final result difficult to predict.
