Romania’s centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, secured victory in Sunday’s presidential runoff, defeating hard-right challenger George Simion in a tightly contested vote marred by allegations of foreign interference.
With nearly all ballots counted, Dan claimed 54% of the vote against 46% for Simion, leader of the nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR). Despite the margin, Simion has refused to concede, alleging without evidence that his party was the “clear winner.”
“We claim this victory on behalf of the Romanian people,” Simion told supporters late Sunday, disputing exit polls and claiming to have received 400,000 more votes than Dan.
The runoff followed the annulment of last year’s presidential election by Romania’s top court, which cited electoral irregularities and concerns over Russian meddling.
On Sunday, Romanian authorities again pointed to “hallmarks of Russian interference,” saying they had countered a viral disinformation campaign circulating on social media platforms, including Telegram.
Meanwhile, France rejected allegations by Telegram founder Pavel Durov that a Western European government—widely assumed to be France—had pressured the platform to suppress conservative voices during Romania’s election. The French foreign ministry called the claims “completely unfounded.”
Dan, an independent candidate who campaigned on transparency, pro-European values, and alignment with NATO, struck a cautious tone following his win.
“There will be a difficult period ahead, necessary for economic rebalancing to lay the foundations of a healthy society,” Dan said in a speech to supporters. “Please have hope and patience.”
He described the outcome as a victory for “a community that wants a profound change in Romania.”
Dan’s rival, Simion, is a vocal admirer of former U.S. President Donald Trump and has promoted nationalist and anti-EU rhetoric throughout his campaign. He raised concerns over electoral fraud ahead of the vote but has yet to provide evidence for his claims.
Official results are expected to be confirmed by Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau in the coming hours.
Simion, head of the nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), led the first round with 40.96% of the vote. Dan, the mayor of Bucharest running as an independent, placed second with 20.99%, narrowly ahead of former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu, who secured 20.07%.
Former Prime Minister Victor Ponta followed with 13.05%, while Save Romania Union candidate Elena Lasconi garnered 2.68%.
The first round took place amid heightened political tensions and concerns over electoral integrity, following the Constitutional Court’s annulment of last year’s presidential vote due to irregularities and allegations of foreign interference.