Romanian voters living abroad have begun casting their ballots in the second round of the presidential election, scheduled for Sunday. According to the latest polls, the race between right-wing candidate George Simion and pro-European independent Nicușor Dan is extremely tight, with virtually no gap between them.
Overseas voting began on Thursday at 10:00 p.m. Romanian time, when the first polling station opened in Auckland, New Zealand. By noon on Friday, around 158,000 people had voted out of nearly one million registered voters abroad.
The political situation in the country remains tense following a court decision to annul the results of the first round, in which right-wing candidate Călin Georgescu emerged victorious. He was removed from the race after accusations of electoral violations and alleged Russian interference—claims that Moscow denies.
As a result of the new elections, George Simion, leader of the AUR party, has emerged as the frontrunner. He has pledged to reduce bureaucracy, lower taxes, and “restore democracy.” His opponent, 55-year-old mathematician and civic activist Nicușor Dan, advocates for a pro-European direction and a strong anti-corruption stance.
Diaspora votes could prove decisive. In the first round on May 4, Simion gained a significant lead thanks to support from voters abroad—about 61%. In recent days, he has been actively campaigning in European capitals, while Dan has focused his efforts on voters within Romania.
