Romanian centrist Dan poised to win presidency over hard-right rival
Moderate Nicușor Dan wins Romanian election — but ultranationalist George Simion won’t concede
The 55-year-old Bucharest mayor fended off a challenge from firebrand candidate who models himself on U.S. leader Donald Trump.
The 55-year-old Bucharest mayor fended off a challenge from firebrand candidate who models himself on U.S. leader Donald Trump.
www.politico.eu
“… With 98 percent of polling stations counted by 11:55 p.m. local time Sunday, Dan had won 54 percent to 46 percent for Simion. Turnout was 65 percent, the highest since 1996.
… Dan, 55, has the air of an academic and was a talented mathematician before entering politics. Standing as an independent, his softly spoken style could not be more different from the bombastic nationalism of Simion, his 38-year-old opponent from the hard-right AUR party, who has vowed to halt aid to Ukraine.
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While voting was still underway, Simion began questioning the legitimacy of the vote — and he even claimed victory on Sunday night, despite the clear exit poll margin and results so far going against him.
“I am the new president of Romania,”
Simion insisted in a social media post. In his first live statement after the polls closed, Simion claimed his party estimates that he won at least 400,000 votes more than Dan.
Simion’s approach recalls Donald Trump’s refusal to accept defeat after the 2020 U.S. election. At 10:30 p.m., members of Simion’s party received a message alert telling them if the “fraud continues, protest” and proposing a “national protest” on Monday morning “if they try to steal the victory of the Romanian people,” according to Romanian media. …”