Romania - May 2025
Moderate Bucharest mayor wins presidential election
On 18 May, Nicușor Dan won the second round of Romania’s presidential election with 53.6 per cent of the vote. Dan ran as an independent candidate, and has served as mayor of Bucharest since 2020. George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) party, received 46.4 per cent of the vote. The Romanian Electoral Authority reported voter turnout of 64.7 per cent, a significant increase from 53.2 per cent in the first round of the election held on 4 May. There were 11 presidential candidates in the first round, including 2 women and 9 men. Observers found the election competitive, but noted the campaign was marred by media bias and insufficient transparency in election administration. Simion challenged the result at the Constitutional Court, claiming electoral fraud and alleging interference by France and Moldova; on 22 May, his appeal was rejected. The election followed the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the previous presidential election in November 2024.
Sources: International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Robert Schuman Foundation, Romanian Electoral Authority, Constitutional Court, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty
