Romanian Centrist Bests Right-Wing Candidate In Surprise Result

Romania’s nationalist presidential candidate George Simion lost to centrist candidate Nicusor Dan on Sunday in the second round of the Romanian elections after European Union (EU) bureaucrats confirmed the nullification of the nation’s elections in December 2024, according to multiple reports.

Simion lost the second round of elections, winning approximately 45% of the vote while Dan is projected to have secured approximately 55% of the vote, according to reports from The New York Times, Politico EU and BBC. The EU effectively upheld a ruling by the Romanian government nullifying right-wing populist Calin Georgescu’s victory in the 2024 election, and Romanian voters rejected a right-wing government with a new slate of candidates in 2025 in what some observers describe as an upset.

“Elections are about communities and in today’s elections a community of Romanians who wants a profound change in Romania won. A community that wants a functioning of the state institutions. A community that wants a reduction of corruption,” Dan told his supporters proclaiming his victory, according to Politico.