Overview

• George Simion, leader of the far-right AUR party, won 41% of the vote in the first round of Romania's rerun presidential election, advancing to a May 18 runoff against Nicusor Dan, who secured 21%.
• Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced his resignation, citing the loss of legitimacy for his pro-Western coalition after its candidate, Crin Antonescu, failed to advance.
• Romania's presidential election is pivotal due to the president's significant authority over foreign and security policy, with implications for EU and NATO alignment and support for Ukraine.
• Simion's campaign has drawn on nationalist and Euroskeptic rhetoric, as well as alliances with disqualified 2024 candidate Calin Georgescu, raising concerns about a potential shift in Romania's geopolitical stance.
• The collapse of the governing coalition leaves Romania politically unstable as the runoff approaches, with the outcome likely to define the country's strategic direction.