George Simion. Credit: George Simion’s Twitter account.
George Simion, the nationalist Conservative candidate representing the Romanian Union (AUR) alliance, apparently won the first round of Romanian presidential election.
The 38-year-old politician has secured nearly 41% of the vote as he described himself as a “pro-roman” and is often said to be a big supporter of Donald Trump.
Simion entered the second round scheduled for May 18th, and as a strong favourite for Bucharest mayor Nicoa Dan, he finished second with around 21%, slightly ahead of former liberal leader Klin Antonescu, who received 20.07%.
George Simion’s Base: George and Diaspora
A key factor in Simion’s success was his ability to gather supporters of controversial winner Karin Georgek of the November 2024 election, which was cancelled amid allegations of Russian interference.
Simion also garnered great support from disillusioned voters, angered at the cancellation of the previous election and unhappy with the direction Romania goes.
Simion won by far among Romanians living abroad. In Spain, he accounted for 73.59% of the vote. In Italy, 73.66%. In France and the UK, he received over 60%.
Ex-Ultra and “Meloni Model”
Credit: Creative Commons
George Simion quickly rose to political prominence after establishing the AUR in 2019 as an alternative to the traditional Romanian political parties.
Before entering politics, he was a civic activist and was known for his campaign in favour of unifying the Republic of Moldova and Romania. His activism drew sharp responses from Moldovan authorities, including multiple expulsions and bans in entry.
In Romania, Simion is also known for his soccer ultra-culture background, and has founded two supporter groups. Honor and country and Unite under TricolorBoth support the Romanian national team.
Simion opposes military aid to Ukraine, referring to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and seeking European “melonia.” In 2024 he was banned from entering Ukraine for “systematic anti-urein activities.”
What Simion said after winning
“This is not just an election victory. It is a victory for Romanian dignity. It is a victory for those who have not lost hope, those who are still respected, respected and believed in sovereignty,” Simion said following the announcement of the results.
“I’m here to serve the Romanians, but not the other way around,” he added, strengthening his vision. Like Karin Georgek and other nationalist politicians, Simion defends the European Union, which respects national sovereignty and diversity, rather than imposing a unified policy.
Challenger: Independent Mathematician
Credit: Nicușor Dan’s Facebook account.
Faced with Simion in the spill is Nicoadan, a 55-year-old mathematician and current mayor of Bucharest. Dan, who runs an independent, also has activist roots and founded the Save Romania Union (USR) in 2016, but left the party a year later.
On December 16th, Dan announced his candidacy for the 2025 presidential election after a 2024 vote by Intervention, where Russian interference allegedly supported Karin Georgek. He is often referred to as a centralist and pro-EU politician.
The decision to run for the presidency surprised many. Dan had previously insisted that “two or three terms would be required to revise Bucharest,” as he had promised to serve at least one more term as mayor.
His presidential bid also led to splits with Elena Lasconi, who came in second in the first round of 2024, USR presidential candidate, and his previous allies.
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