Nicușor Dan claims victory in closely watched Romanian election

• An exit poll was conducted during the second round of the presidential elections in Romania.
• According to the survey, the winner of the election is the mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan.
• The exit poll was conducted only in Romania. However, the Romanian diaspora also voted in large numbers, which could influence the final result.

In the second round of the repeat presidential elections in Romania, the leader of the right-wing AUR party (Alliance for the Union of Romanians), George Simion, faced the pro-European mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan.

According to CURS exit poll data, Dan emerged victorious in the elections, with 54.9 percent of the votes, while Simion received 45.1 percent.

It is important to note that the exit polls were conducted exclusively in Romania. Meanwhile, the media highlighted the significant participation of the Romanian diaspora, which turned out in large numbers. More than ten percent of all votes could come from abroad. Therefore, the final results might differ.

In the first round of the presidential elections, George Simion secured 41 percent of the votes, promising a return to "the rule of law". Nicușor Dan, with 21 percent support, focused on pledges to combat corruption.

Simion was considered the favourite in the second round of the elections, although the polls were close.

The May presidential elections in Romania occurred under the shadow of a controversial Constitutional Court ruling, which annulled the voting from November 2024. It had been won by the previously little-known pro-Russian right-wing radical Calin Georgescu, who had gained prominence by campaigning on TikTok. The court's decision was based on intelligence findings indicating external interference, suggesting that Russia was involved. The politician was also banned from participating in the repeat vote. Some Romanians believe the decision was justified, while others see it as a tool in the hands of corrupt political elites.