Overview

• Sunday’s runoff pits George Simion, a nationalist aligned with Trump-style populism, against Nicusor Dan, a pro-EU centrist and Bucharest’s mayor.
• Polls show the race narrowing to a virtual tie, with diaspora turnout and online disinformation campaigns playing pivotal roles.
• Simion has drawn criticism for his anti-EU rhetoric, opposition to military aid for Ukraine, and plans to appoint a controversial pro-Russian figure as prime minister.
• Dan has pledged to strengthen Romania’s EU and NATO ties, combat corruption, and stabilize the country’s struggling economy, which faces the EU’s largest budget deficit.
• The election’s outcome will influence Romania’s geopolitical orientation, NATO’s eastern flank, and the EU’s cohesion as nationalist movements gain traction in the region.