Overview

• Romania's presidential election rerun takes place on May 4, five months after the Constitutional Court voided the November vote due to alleged Russian interference.
• Far-right candidate George Simion leads polls with 30%, followed by establishment-backed Crin Antonescu at 24.3% and independent Nicușor Dan at 22.4%.
• Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), opposes military aid to Ukraine and has pledged to appoint disqualified candidate Călin Georgescu to a top role if elected.
• The election outcome will significantly influence Romania's foreign policy, including its alignment with the EU, NATO, and support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
• The United States has deployed election observers, and prominent Romanian cultural figures have urged voters to support pro-European candidates.