Romanians vote in presidential rerun after voided election sparked deep political crisis

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanians voted Sunday in a critical presidential election rerun after last year’s annulled vote plunged the European Union and NATO member country into its worst political crisis in decades.

The official vote count began when polls closed at 9 p.m. local time, after which results will be gradually published by electoral authorities.

Eleven candidates vied for the presidency and a May 18 runoff is expected. By the time polls closed, about 9.57 million people — or 53.2% of eligible voters — had cast their ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau, with 973,000 votes cast at polling stations set up in other countries.

Romania's political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.

As in many EU countries, antiestablishment sentiment is running high in Romania, fueled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Georgescu, who is under investigation and barred from the rerun.

While data from local surveys should be taken with caution, a median of polls suggests that hard-right nationalist George Simion will enter the runoff, likely pitting him against Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, or the governing coalition's candidate, Crin Antonescu.

In a prerecorded speech aired after polls closed, Simion dismissed local exit polls and said that, despite the obstacles, Romanians “have risen up” and that “only after the last ballot has been counted will we make public statements.”

“I am here to restore constitutional order,” he said. “I want democracy, I want normalcy, and I have a single objective: to give back to the Romanian people what was taken from them and to place at the center of decision-making the ordinary, honest, dignified people.”

Georgescu, who appeared alongside Simion at a polling station on Sunday in the capital, Bucharest, called the vote rerun “a fraud orchestrated by those who have made deceit the only state policy,” but said he was there to “acknowledge the power of democracy, the power of the vote that frightens the system, that terrifies the system.”

Widespread distrust in the authorities

Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, is running on a pro-EU “Honest Romania” ticket. After polls closed, Dan thanked all party representatives at the polling stations and asked them “to ensure a correct count from this moment on.”

“It is about the trust of Romanians and our partners in democracy ... and in my opinion, it is a new beginning that we all have a responsibility to do correctly,” he said.

Antonescu, 65, a veteran centrist who campaigned on retaining Romania’s pro-Western orientation, said Sunday that he voted for “a united Romania, for a strong Romania, for a dignified Romania.”

“Democracy means a battle, sometimes taken to the maximum, but it is a battle of ideas,” he said after voting had closed. “Let’s not forget that we are fellow citizens, sons of the same country, and we must move forward together.”

Victor Ponta, who was prime minister from 2012-2015, has also pushed a MAGA-style “Romania First” campaign and boasts of having close ties to the Trump administration.

Another hopeful, Elena Lasconi, came second in last year’s first round ballot and is participating in the rerun. She has positioned herself as a staunchly pro-Western, anti-system candidate, railing against what she describes as a corrupt political class.

Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially for those who voted for Georgescu, a sizable electorate that Simion has sought to tap into.

“The antiestablishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement, but is against the people who destroyed this country,” Simion, who came fourth in last year’s race and later backed Georgescu, told The Associated Press days before the rerun. “We are not a democratic state anymore.”

Rares Ghiorghies, 36, who works in the energy sector and voted for Simion, says he hopes that if he secures the presidency, Romania can “return to the basic principles of democracy, regain our confidence.”

“What happened in December 2024 is definitely a dark chapter in the history of this country, and we can no longer accept it,” he said. “I’m hoping things will get back to normal.”

Crossroads moment for Romania

Simion said that his hard-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party is "perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement," capitalizing on a growing wave of populism in Europe after U.S. President Donald Trump's political comeback. AUR rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election, proclaims to stand for "family, nation, faith, and freedom," and has since doubled its support.

Retiree Done Chiritoi says he feels robbed of his previous vote, which has left him with “only bad words” for the political class. “If my vote gets canceled again or if the one I chose won’t get elected, I’ll take to the streets,” he said.

The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances, which have become strained since the canceled election fiasco.

The decision to annul the election and the ban on Georgescu's candidacy drew criticism from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Russia, which publicly supported his candidacy in the rerun.

The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy.