Bucharest is not Moscow: Pro-European voters swept away the sovereigntists supported by Fidesz in Romania

Monday, May 19, 2025

Nicusor Dan won the Romanian presidential election against George Simion, showing strong support across diverse groups despite disinformation campaigns.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Nicusor Dan won the Romanian presidential election with over six million votes, demonstrating an unprecedented ability to unite diverse voter groups. Although both candidates initially claimed victory, the results solidified at polling stations. Hungarian-speaking areas showed strong support for the independent candidate; for instance, 90% of voters in Hargita county and 84% in Covászna county supported him. Despite attempts by George Simion, who campaigned with shared materials with Viktor Orbán, to sway some Hungarian votes towards the far-right, both RMDSZ and the Transylvanian Hungarian Association distanced themselves from this possibility, with the latter explicitly supporting Nicusor Dan. Simion’s claims that Nicusor Dan would lead Romania into war were largely dismissed by those directly affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Nicusor Dan also won in areas bordering Moldova, such as Iasi and Galac counties, where 88% of Moldovan voters supported him over George Simion. The election outcome is viewed by some as an end to decades of corrupt governance, while others anticipate a calming of European political centrism. Voter turnout was high across various demographics; Nicusor Dan secured larger support in urban areas, and women were more consistently represented across age groups supporting him, partly attributed to negative campaigning against Simion’s far-right rhetoric. Following the results, Nicusor Dan promised swift government formation, social peace, and reconciliation.


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