Romanians cast their votes on Sunday in a closely watched presidential election, with partial results showing hard-right candidate George Simion taking a clear lead.
While the official count is still underway, early indications put Simion — long tipped as the front-runner — in first place, albeit short of the 50 percent needed to win outright. That means he will face his second-place opponent, likely to be either establishment candidate Crin Antonescu or centrist Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan, in a runoff on May 18.
So who is the 38-year-old firebrand leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) — and how did he get so close to the presidency?
Trump fanboy
Simion studied history at university and quickly got involved in activism, taking part in street protests promoting the unification of Romania and neighboring Moldova, an ultranationalist, irredentist ideology.
He founded his AUR party in 2019 after a failed bid for election to the European Parliament as an independent. Simion, who proudly wears flaming red Donald Trump baseball caps, has described the party’s style as “Trumpist.” After last year’s parliamentary election, it holds the second-largest number of seats in the Romanian parliament.
Many of AUR’s policy positions match those of Trump’s MAGA movement, from social conservatism — it bills itself as pro-Christian and pro-family — to stopping military aid to Ukraine.
The party’s support surged amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with AUR tapping into anti-science sentiment by opposing government measures to limit the spread of the virus and fanning conspiracies about vaccines on social media.
Simion was banned in 2024 from entering Ukraine for three years for what Kyiv called “systematic anti-Ukrainian activities.” He denies he is against Ukraine or pro-Russian, arguing that he is simply pro-Romanian. He has also been repeatedly banned from Moldova, with Chișinău accusing him of endangering national security.
Simion has taken aim at Brussels, threatening to break EU laws he disagrees with, though he has stressed Romania should remain part of the bloc. He told POLITICO last month he rejects the far-right label.
Meloni 2.0
Simion has cited right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a political hero and called for the “Melonization” of Europe.
“Believe me, there will be a Simionization as well,” he told POLITICO last November, shortly before Romania’s annulled presidential election, in which he placed fourth.
In the months since that election result was scrapped — far-right shock winner Călin Georgescu was disqualified and a new vote ordered by the country’s constitutional court after the Romanian authorities alleged Russian interference propelled him to victory — Simion’s profile has soared.
Vigorously denouncing the cancelation of last year’s election, he has framed the do-over as a battle for “democracy, the people’s will, the rule of law and the constitutional order,” and vowed to appoint Georgescu to a top role if he is elected.
At a televised debate between presidential candidates last month, he showed up with a bouquet of flowers for Elena Lasconi, the center-left candidate who came second at last year’s annulled vote, before walking out in protest over the canceled election.
The theatrical stunt epitomizes the disruptive politics of Simion, who began his political career marching in the streets and spray-painting ultranationalist slogans on roads across the country.
Sunday’s election result is the culmination of his rise from fringe agitator to far-right chief — and potentially, should he make it to Cotroceni Palace, the presidential residence in Bucharest, the most powerful man in Romania.
Carmen Paun contributed to this report.
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