Nicușor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest from the Save Romania Union (pro-European liberal party), won Romania’s presidential election on May 18, after defeating the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR, right-wing nationalist party) George Simion. Official results showed Dan securing 53.6% of the vote in the runoff, while Simion received 46.4%. Voter turnout reached 64.72%, or approximately 11.64 million voters, up from 53% in the first round. Simion, had led the first round with around 41% of the vote.
Following the second-round vote, Simion initially claimed victory, alleging electoral fraud and citing expected support from the Romanian diaspora. However, he later conceded in a Facebook video, congratulating Dan and acknowledging the outcome as the will of the people. He also thanked the more than five million Romanians who supported him and pledged to continue his political movement.
Dan celebrated the result as a mandate for change and national reconstruction. His victory drew congratulations from several European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who all welcomed the result as a positive signal for European unity and cooperation.
The election followed a previously annulled first-round vote, canceled over concerns about foreign interference. However, Romanian authorities again flagged misinformation campaigns, notably via Telegram channels.