Crushing victory for the right in Romania's elections

The leader of the right-wing party AUR, George Simion, has won the presidential elections in Romania after defeating the pro-Western independent candidate Nicușor Dan in the second round.

With this victory, Simion, 38 years old, becomes a major contender to be the new president of the country, marking a significant shift toward anti-globalism and Euroscepticism in a nation that is a member of the European Union and NATO.

Simion already led the first round with 40.1% of the votes, driven by strong support from the electorate both within the country and in the diaspora, especially in Italy and Spain, where he obtained more than 75% of the votes.

Simion consolidated that support thanks to a discourse centered on national sovereignty, criticism of the European Union, and his ideological closeness to the "Make America Great Again" movement of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, the brand-new winner of these Romanian elections has shown great fanaticism and admiration for the Argentine president, Javier Milei. Simion highlighted the Argentine's work to pull the country out of the major economic and social problems left by the leftist government of Alberto Fernandez and Kirchnerism.

In contrast, his rival, Nicușor Dan, mayor of Bucharest and surprise candidate who emerged as the second force in the first round, represented a moderate and pro-European option.

Despite his efforts to mobilize the urban and technocratic vote, he failed to stop Simion's great rise, whose message resonated deeply among voters disappointed with the traditional political class.

The election represents a strong setback for the governing coalition, composed of the historic parties PSD (Social Democrat), PNL (Progressive), and UDMR/RMDSZ (representative of the Hungarian minority), which had backed former senator Crin Antonescu as the sole candidate.

Antonescu was eliminated in the first round in a contest that highlighted the traditional parties' loss of connection with their electoral base, especially in rural areas where mobilization was low.

Simion has promised to govern with a firm hand, defending traditional values and national independence against pressures from Brussels.

During his campaign, he openly criticized military aid to Ukraine, was skeptical of the EU's role in Romanian politics, and reaffirmed his opposition to what he considers an excessive subordination of the country to foreign interests. In fact, he keeps entry bans to Ukraine and Moldova.

The top candidate to be Romanian president reaches the runoff in a complex international context. Romania has so far been a key NATO ally in the region, supporting Ukraine with military and logistical equipment.

Simion's election raises uncertainty about the future of this collaboration, at a time when the stability of NATO's eastern flank is crucial amid the prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Political analysts warn that his rise to power could distance Romania from its current commitments with the EU and NATO, moderately positively affect foreign investment, and decrease internal polarization.

Although the presidential role in Romania is semi-executive, Simion will be able to exert significant influence by commanding the Armed Forces, presiding over the Supreme Defense Council, and appointing the prime minister, prosecutors, judges, and intelligence service chiefs.

Simion has also cultivated ties with other nationalist leaders in Central Europe. Before the second round, he expressed his support for Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist candidate in the Polish presidential elections, and indicated that both Romania and Poland need "MAGA presidents" to strengthen their alliance with the United States under a conservative and nationalist vision.

This victory confirms the rise of the right in Eastern Europe and represents a shake-up to the Romanian political system, already weakened by the unjust annulment of the December 2024 elections, which were canceled following accusations of Russian interference in favor of candidate Calin Georgescu, who was later illegally barred from competing.

Simion, however, has remained close to Georgescu, who even voted with him in the second round.

With a possible five-year mandate ahead, George Simion will have the opportunity to reshape Romania's political course. His immediate challenge will be to govern a divided country, under the scrutiny of his international allies, and with the responsibility of balancing his nationalist rhetoric with the geopolitical and economic realities of a nation deeply integrated into Western structures.