Presidential hopeful Nicusor Dan greets his supporters after voting ended in Romania’s election rerun in Bucharest on May 19. With almost all votes tallied, Dan held a lead over far-right candidate George Simion, earning 54% compared to Simion’s 46%. The Associated Press
Voters in Romania and Poland chose centrist presidential candidates in recent elections. The results were close, showing a clear lead for moderates but also strong support for far-right groups. In Poland, voters went to the polls for the first round, while Romania held a runoff between two candidates.
Romania’s Tight Race
In Romania’s second round, Nicusor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, led with 54% of the votes. He was ahead of George Simion, a far-right candidate, who got 46%. Exit polls confirmed Dan’s lead soon after polls closed at 9 p.m. local time.
Simion, 38, gained support by speaking to voters worried about Romania’s struggling economy and high corruption. He wanted the government to take more control of businesses and reduce ties with the European Union. Simion also called for stopping military aid to Ukraine and focused on putting Romania’s interests first, similar to a movement in the U.S.
If Simion had won, he likely would have aligned with other far-right leaders in Europe who want to weaken the European Union’s unity. Simion also promised to appoint a banned nationalist leader as prime minister, a move that raised concern internationally.
Simion won the first round on May 4 with almost double the votes Dan received. He also got strong support from Romanians living abroad. Despite losing, Simion said, “I am the new president and I am giving back power to Romanians.”
Dan, 55, supports the European Union and sending aid to Ukraine. He said voters chose “dialogue, not hatred” and called for patience as Romania works through tough economic changes. Voter turnout was higher in this runoff, especially in cities where Dan was popular.
Poland’s First Round Results
In Poland, the centrist Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, led with 31% of votes. He was closely followed by Karol Nawrocki, backed by the populist Law and Justice party, with 29%. The far-right candidate Slawomir Mentzen came third with about 15%. The final results are expected soon. Trzaskowski and Nawrocki will face each other in a runoff on June 1.
Poland’s president has limited powers but controls foreign policy, the military, and can block laws from parliament.
Nawrocki has focused on voters unhappy with the current government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Tusk’s coalition took power in 2023 but faces criticism for not delivering promised changes. Nawrocki asked Mentzen’s supporters to back him in the next round, saying, “We both want a sovereign, strong, rich and safe Poland.”
Trzaskowski wants to continue Tusk’s plans and support laws that would ease Poland’s strict abortion rules. He said, “I am going for victory, so that Poland would become richer.”
What This Means
Even though centrists are ahead, many voters in both countries are upset with the current state of politics. The strong showing by far-right candidates shows that many people still want change outside the mainstream.
