Hard-right eurosceptic George Simion won the first round of Romania's presidential election re-run on Sunday, final results showed, after a ballot seen as a test of the rise of Donald Trump-style nationalism in the European Union.
Ballots from 100% of voting stations, early Monday, showed Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, 55, was in second place at around 21%, behind Simion's 41%. They will meet in a runoff on May 18.
A Simion victory could isolate Romania, erode private investment and destabilise NATO's eastern flank, where Ukraine is fighting a three-year-old Russian invasion, political observers say.
It would also expand a cohort of eurosceptic leaders in the EU that already includes the Hungarian and Slovak prime ministers at a time when Europe is struggling to formulate its response to Trump.
"This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It is the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country," 38-year-old Simion said.
Simion secured victory in 36 out of Romania's 47 electoral districts, showcasing strong domestic support.
He also captured 61% of the diaspora vote while Dan managed 25% despite securing wins in 68 out of 94 countries where votes were cast. Ballots from one overseas station were still being awaited but would have no bearing on the overall outcome.
Simion's international performance was bolstered by robust backing from Romanians in Western Europe, Nordic countries, several Middle Eastern nations, as well as Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Benefiting from a wave of popular anger against mainstream leaders, Simion opposes military aid to neighbouring Ukraine, is critical of the EU leadership and says he is aligned with the U.S. president's Make America Great Again movement.
"We are a Trumpist party which will govern Romania and which will make Romania a strong partner in NATO and a strong ally of the United States," Simion told foreign media shortly before polling stations closed.
Dan, an independent running on an anti-corruption platform, overtook former senator Crin Antonescu, 65, a centrist candidate backed by the three parties in the pro-western coalition government for his spot in the runoff.
After confirming his runner-up status, Dan expressed gratitude to his supporters — especially those in Moldova, where his camp secured over 50% — and outlined his challenge against an isolationist candidate.
"A difficult second round is going to follow with the isolationist candidate. It will not be a debate between individuals, it will be a debate between a pro-Western direction for Romania and an anti-Western direction for Romania," he said.
"It is our task to convince Romanians that Romania needs the pro-Western direction and that is what our campaign will focus on, these two weeks."
Observers said he would struggle to beat Simion in the runoff more than Antonescu due to rivalries between him and mainstream parties that make it harder for voters to switch. Many in the ruling Social Democrat and Liberal parties shared more beliefs with Simion than Dan, they said.
Victor Ponta, a former leftist prime minister who has shifted to conservative nationalist politics, could play a pivotal role following Sunday's vote after finishing in fourth place with 1.22 million votes, and could leverage his electoral strength to become a kingmaker in the political landscape.
"Simion has a bigger pool of votes than Dan at the moment," said Cristian Pirvulescu, a political scientist. "Romania can now shift the power balance in Europe towards extremism."
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