In the first round of a “do-over” election, which will be held on May 4, voters in Romania will elect their next president. This will be the second such election in six months.
The Eastern European country previously held a presidential election on November 24, 2024, from which far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, who was polling in single digits during the campaign, surprisingly emerged victorious.
Following the publication of rumors of alleged Russian election interference in Georgescu’s favor, which caused the nation to go into a political coma.
In March, Romania’s electoral commission forbade the pro-Moscow independent. He is now subject to criminal investigations.
What information about the redo vote is essential, as well as who the top contenders are:
In Romania, when and where will polls start?
Polls will open at 7am (04: 00 GMT) on Sunday, May 4 and close at 9pm (18: 00 GMT).
Voters can cast their ballots at any of the nation’s 18, 979 polling places. In nations with significant diaspora populations like Malta, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Moldova, and the United States, 965 additional stations will be established.
How do presidential elections work in Romania?
In a two-round election, the president is chosen for a five-year term. There are two terms for president.
A candidate must secure more than 50 percent of all registered votes to be declared a winner in the first round.
A run-off will take place on May 18 between the two top finishers if no candidate reaches the 50% threshold on May 4. The winner will be determined to be the candidate with the most votes.
What are the main issues driving this election?
Inflation and wages
The main influence on voter choice will likely be the rising cost of food and other necessities in the nation.
The country’s economy has steadily been on the decline for decades, forcing many young people to seek work abroad. Nearly one-third of the population is impoverished.
Corruption
Since 1989, the communist government’s fall, establishment parties have been in charge of the nation, sparking deep resentment.
Romania scores among the bottom four countries in Europe in terms of corruption, according to Transparency International. Voters generally have little faith in politicians and public institutions.
ideological division
Romania, like several other European nations, faces growing questions from sections of its population about its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. More moderate voters oppose additional Kyiv support.
Voters are divided on whether they prefer a more Western-friendly or pro-European Union and NATO-style government.
This divide is reflected in the makeup of Romania’s parliament.
In an effort to outsmart far-right nationalists, the pro-Europe parties in Romania formed a majority government on December 1st, 2013.
The pro-European Social Democratic Party (PSD), which won the December election without winning a majority, came to terms with the center-right National Liberal Party (PLL), the reformist Save Romania Union (USR), and the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party.
Overall, the coalition holds 58 of the 134 seats in the Senate, the upper house, and 135 seats out of 331 in the lower Chamber of Deputies.
The far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which is led by George Simion as president, is the party with the most support for the EU. It has 61 seats in the Senate and 61 in the House of Deputies.
SOS Romania, also a far-right party, holds another 12 seats in the Senate and 28 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. 24 lower and 7 upper seats are held by the POT, a far-right group. These eurosceptical parties currently control 113 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, which is close to the 135 seats the ruling coalition had in the coalition.
Given this divide, the EU will have its eyes on this presidential election.
Who are the main rivals?
38-year-old George Simion
The right-wing, eurosceptic politician is leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and is currently leading the polls with support from 30 percent of voters as of April 26, according to Politico’s Poll of Polls (an average of all the polls).
Simion criticized the decision to annul the contentious November elections because he is perceived as pro-Moscow and is supported by nationalist camps like Georgescu.
He opposes same-sex unions and is skeptical of Euros. He has also spoken out against sending aid to Ukraine.
He has pushed for the reclaiming of Romanian territory from Ukraine and Moldova. Simion was detained by Moldova in May 2015 because he “endangered national security” and was given a five-year ban from entering the nation. This ban was renewed for a further five years in February 2024.
Simion was criticized for supporting the two former military officers’ election to parliament in 2019 for allegedly repressing revolutionaries following the country’s 1989 uprising against communist rule.
Crin Antonescu, 65
The more centrist Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party alliance (PSD-PLN) support the independent candidate and long-serving politician.
As of April 26, Antonescu, who was a one-time acting president and head of the Senate, was in the polls at 24 percent.
He supports Romania’s membership of the EU and NATO. Additionally, he supports expanding aid to Ukraine.
In his campaigns, Antonescu has highlighted his political background.
55-year-old Nicusor Dan
The activist and mathematician has been in charge of Bucharest since 2011 and is a mayor there. He is running as an independent candidate on an anticorruption ticket and is polling at 22 percent, according to Politico.
Before becoming mayor, Dan campaigned for more than ten years against the conversion of public spaces to construction sites and against the demolition of historic buildings in the city.
Liberal parties favor him, as opposed to the centrist ruling coalition, who want closer ties with the EU and want to stop the rise of right-wing candidates like Simion.
Dan was re-elected as mayor last June, and his announcement to run following the annulled presidential elections in November came as a surprise.
His campaign promises to boost defense spending, eliminate corruption, and reform institutions. Additionally, he has the promise to bring Romanians together ideologically.
52-year-old Victor Ponta
Ponta, who served as prime minister until 2014 under the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), is also running as an independent in this election, which had a 2010 election poll of 10 percent, according to Politico.
His stint in the top job was marred by allegations of tax evasion and money laundering that eventually forced him to resign, however. He was cleared of the charges in a court-appointed verdict in 2018, which marked his return to politics.
Ponta serves on the Chamber of Deputies as a legislator.
He has highlighted nationalist and protectionist themes in his campaign: He is against buying Ukrainian grain and wants to protect the interests of Romanian farmers.
53-year-old Elena Lasconi
Lasconi is the mayor of Campulung, south-central Romania, as well as a journalist. She is popular with liberal voters.
In Politico’s Poll of Polls, she leads the political party Save Romania Union (USR), and has a 7% voter turnout.
In the November elections, Lasconi placed second behind Georgescu, who had to face him in the run-off.
As mayor, she is in favour of EU support, which her office said allowed Campulung to build parks and other critical infrastructure.
What authority does the president of Romania possess?
The head of state of Romania is a member of the executive branch.
Under the constitution, the president has the power to nominate the prime minister, who must then be approved by parliament.
The president has the option of appointing an acting prime minister if the current one becomes ineffective, but that is not the president’s exclusive right to do so. The country’s leaders are in complete control, according to the prime minister and his cabinet.
While the president is required by the constitution to maintain a neutral stance, if Simion does win the presidency, that would place him ideologically at odds with the coalition government.
