The elections in Romania, in the international press: “The victory of the extreme right could isolate the country”

The largest international press agencies have reported on the results of the exit polls of the first tour of the presidential elections in Romania.

The big press agencies reported on the elections in Romania Photo Inquam / Octav Ganea

“The candidate of the extreme right came out the winner in the first round of the presidential elections in Romania”titrate AFP.

The candidate has changed, but the far right remains at the forefront: five months after the shocking annulment of the first tour of the presidential elections, Romania confirmed its nationalist turn in a new vote on Sunday. The leader of the Gold Party, George Simion, is credited with 30 to 33% of the votes, according to two exit polls. He is followed by two pro -European candidates, who are on a draw, with just over 20% of the votes, notes the Agency.

However he will be “probably defeated in the second round”on May 18, because he has few votes, said Political Science Professor Sergiu Miscoiu, predicting a close race.

In total, eleven candidates competed for a position that is essentially ceremonial, but influential in foreign policy, in this EU member state with 19 million inhabitants who became a key pillar of NATO after the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Călin Georgescu's surprise victory, a former public civil servant accused by his critics of sympathy towards Kremlin, caused concern in the west of the continent and threw Romania into political turbulence.

The Constitutional Court invalidated the vote and excluded Georgescu from this new race, after a massive campaign on Tiktok vicated by Russian interference suspicions.

He was replaced by Simion, the fourth in the fall, and the two politicians appeared together at a polling station in Mogosoaia, near Bucharest.

Reuters also writes that “The Romanian nationalist Simion is about to win the elections, according to EXIT-Polls.”

The Eurosceptic George Simion seemed to win the first round of repeated presidential elections on Sunday, according to polls, after an election seen as a test of the Donald Trump nationalism ascension to the European Union.

Simion could isolate Romania in the European Union and NATO

Simion opposes the military aid granted to the neighboring Ukraine, has a critical position towards the EU leadership and states that he is aligned with the movement “Make America Great Again” of the US president.

According to political observers, a victory of his in the second round of the poll to be held on May 18 could isolate the country, could erode private investments and destabilize the eastern flank of NATO, where Ukraine is struggling with a three-year-old Russian invasion.

The vote on Sunday took place five months after a first attempt to organize the elections was canceled due to an alleged Russian interference in favor of the far -right candidate Călin Georgescu, who has been forbidden to run.

“It is possible that the vote of the diaspora is enough to push Dan in the second round.”said Sergiu Mişcoiu, professor of political science at Babeş-Bolyai University, referring to the independent candidate Nicuşor ranked second in the first round of exit. “But Dan could have more difficulty in front of Simion”Miscoiu estimated.

Simion is not the only Maga style politician who is applying for elections in Central Europe, the agency notes. Karol Nawrocki, the presidency candidate supported by the main opposition party in Poland in the May 18 presidential elections, met Trump this week.

“Romania and Poland are two important countries for the United States,” Simion told Reuters on Friday.

“We represent partners and represent allies, both military and policies, for the current (American) administration. This is why it is important for the presidents to be leading in Bucharest and Warsaw.”

The Trump administration accused Romania of suppressing the political opposition and lack of democratic values ​​after the November elections were canceled on the basis of what JD Vance Vice President named “weak evidence”.

“George Simion, the leader of the Gold Ultranationalist Party, won the first round of the controversial resumption of the presidential elections in Romania, which were canceled five months ago due to the foreign interference, according to several polls after the voting day ends.”EFE said, quoted by Agerpres.

In these elections, Simion received the support of the ultranationalist and pro-Russian Călin Georgescu, who won against all the probabilities in the first round of November 24, 2024, writes EFE.

Georgescu, whose '“political heir” Simion is considered to be, he received almost half of the vote of Romanians from abroad.

“I am here to bring Romania back to the constitutional order. My only purpose is to give back to the Romanian people what was stolen”Sumion said on Sunday evening, referring to the cancellation of the November elections.

The Constitutional Court decided on December 6, only 48 hours before the second round, to cancel the electoral process, considering that foreign interference has been proven in favor of Georgescu, especially in his massive campaign such as Tiktok.

The European Union (EU) and NATO, of which Romania belongs, as well as other Western partners, pursue with great interest and concern these elections, which could lead to the choice of a Euro-Critic popist that opposes the Western aid granted to the neighboring Ukraine in front of the Russian invasion.