George Simion, The Far-right Nationalist Who Wants To Make Romania Great Again.

By Caroline Ameh

A far-right admirer of Donald Trump who opposes military aid to Ukraine has emerged as the frontrunner in Romania’s presidential election rerun, with near-final results showing George Simion decisively ahead, raising concerns about another nationalist figure rising within the European Union.

With 99.99% of ballots counted on Monday, Simion, 38, who often wears MAGA caps and promotes a sovereignist, socially conservative agenda, secured 40.96% of the vote. His campaign, marked by calls for the “Melonisation” of Europe—referencing Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni—outperformed expectations and nearly doubled the tally of his nearest rival.

Nicușor Dan, the centrist mayor of Bucharest, placed second with 20.99% and will face Simion in a second-round runoff scheduled for 18 May. He edged past Crin Antonescu, a pro-European former senator backed by Romania’s ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), by less than a percentage point.

“This is not just an electoral victory—it is a victory for Romanian dignity,” Simion declared after the results became clear. “It is the victory of those who still believe in a free, respected, sovereign Romania.”

In a statement early Monday, he said he envisioned a European Union “that thrives as a nest for its diverse and sovereign nations—not as a rigid system enforcing one-size-fits-all policies.”

Simion’s Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), originally an anti-vaccine movement, has grown into the country’s second-largest political party. He won in 36 of Romania’s 47 electoral districts and secured a striking 61% of the overseas vote.

Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and founder of the pro-European, anti-corruption Save Romania Union (USR), warned the runoff would be a decisive contest between opposing visions for the country.

“These next two weeks will be tough against an isolationist candidate,” Dan said. “This will not be a debate between two individuals, but between two directions: pro-Western versus anti-Western.”

Analysts caution that Dan faces an uphill battle in the runoff, especially given the strained relations between him and Romania’s two major centrist parties, whose supporters may hesitate to back him.

“Simion currently has a larger vote pool than Dan,” said political scientist Cristian Pîrvulescu. Votes from fourth-place finisher Victor Ponta, a former prime minister, could prove decisive.

Romania’s president wields considerable influence, particularly in foreign policy, national security, defence, and judicial appointments. The president also represents the country internationally and can affect EU decision-making.

A Simion presidency could see Romania—an EU and NATO member that borders Ukraine—adopt a more nationalist, anti-Brussels stance, aligning it with other EU outliers like Hungary and Slovakia. His victory would likely be cheered by conservative nationalists across Europe and in the U.S., including Trump-aligned figures like Vice President JD Vance, who has accused Romanian authorities of subverting democracy.

The original November election was won by far-right, Moscow-friendly independent Călin Georgescu, but was annulled after Romania’s top court cited intelligence findings suggesting Russian interference. Georgescu, now under investigation for alleged campaign finance violations and promoting fascist groups, was barred from contesting the rerun.

Despite this, Simion has vowed to make Georgescu prime minister through a referendum, early elections, or a coalition government if elected. Far-right parties currently hold about 35% of parliamentary seats following December’s legislative polls.

Georgescu, 63, labelled the rerun a “fraud” but said he participated “to acknowledge the power of democracy … and the vote that terrifies the system.”

Simion, who rejects the far-right label, describes his party as a “natural ally” of the Trump movement and supports a coalition of EU states “in the spirit of MAGA.” Although a frequent critic of Russia, he consistently opposes military support for Ukraine.

Romania has donated a Patriot air defence system to Kyiv, trains Ukrainian fighter pilots, and has enabled the export of over 30 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea port of Constanța since Russia’s invasion in 2022