Romania votes to elect its president, between Trumpist candidate and pro-European mayor

Maintain the European course and support for kyiv, or turn to the far right: Romania votes on Sunday, May 18, to elect its president, five months after the spectacular cancellation of a ballot tainted with suspicions of Russian interference.

The leader of the Nationalist Party Alliance for the Romanian unity (AUR), George Simion, 38, and the centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, 55, compete to win the supreme post, endowed with the power to appoint in key positions and to participate in the heights of the European Union (EU) and NATO. The first, a sovereignist fervent admirer of Donald Trump, largely dominated the first round with a score of almost 41 %, double of his rival, but the polls, not always reliable in the past, now place them in the elbow.

The election is closely monitored by the international community, Brussels worrying about seeing the ranks of far -right leaders expand, and Washington, a very critical of the ballot of the fall 2024, calling for respecting the voice of the people.

Loyal member of the EU, Romania, a nation of 19 million inhabitants close to Ukraine, has become an essential pillar of NATO since the start of the Russian offensive in 2022. George Simion wants to put an end to military aid to Ukraine: he demands a “Financial compensation” for assistance provided so far and advocates “Neutrality”while defending himself from being “Vladimir Putin's friend”.

Detractor of “EU absurd policies”

Former Hooligan who sought to smooth his speech in recent months, Mr. Simion says he is convinced that he will be “The next president of Romania”. Except in case of “Massive fraud”he warned, paving the way for a challenge in the event of a defeat. This detractor of “EU absurd policies” could, however, suffer from a series of faux pas in the interwar period, between “Aggressiveness” And absence from many debates, according to analysts.

His opponent, a training mathematician, hopes, meanwhile, a burst of abstentionists, after a first round marked by a participation rate of only 53 %. The exit surfaces will be published shortly after the polling stations closed, at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. in Paris) and the results should achieve overnight.

“Against injustices” And “Humiliation of which our sisters and brothers have been victims, against those who despise us all” And “So that our future is decided only by and for Romanians” : his message, repeated on Sunday when he voted in Mogosoaia, near the capital, seduces many voters, tired of being considered as second zone citizens in the EU.

He displayed himself again with Calin Georgescu, the one who had created the surprise by finishing at the top of the ballot of November 24, 2024 after a large campaign on Tiktok whose operating mode pointed to Russia. This former senior official has since been charged and excluded from this new race, a decision that has caused sometimes violent demonstrations. George Simion is also very present on social networks, reopening his Facebook and Tiktok accounts on Sunday, temporarily closed the day before for “A day of silence”.

The Romanian far right capitalizes on a frustrated population, especially in the countryside, in the face of “Thief politicians”in power since 1989 and angry due to the economic difficulties of one of the poorest countries in the EU.