Far-right leader wins first round of Romania’s presidential election

The Romanian Constitutional Court has officially validated the results of the first round of the presidential election, confirming the victory of far-right candidate George Simion, who secured a decisive lead ahead of his rivals.

The announcement was made on May 9, following a unanimous decision by the Court’s panel of judges, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

The Court declared that it had reviewed and approved the outcome of the May 4 vote, in which Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), emerged as the frontrunner with 40.94 per cent of the vote.

The Court also dismissed a legal challenge submitted by presidential candidate Sebastian Popescu, representing the New Romania Party, who had alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Popescu received less than 0.3 per cent of the total vote, and his complaint was deemed unfounded by the justices.

With the results now officially certified, Simion is set to advance to the runoff election on May 18, where he will face Nicușor Dan, the independent mayor of Bucharest, who finished second with 20.99 per cent of the vote.

Observers note that voter turnout and coalition-building in the lead-up to May 18 will be key factors in determining the outcome of what is shaping up to be one of the most polarizing elections in post-communist Romania.

By Vafa Guliyeva