The new pro-European president of Romania returns it on a Western course, but the fault lines remain

Bucharest, Romania (AP) – A centrist from the Pro -European Union has succeeded An upheaval in the presidential election of RomaniaBeating a right -wing nationalist who had channeled people’s anger at the political establishment to increase in the polls.

But the new chief must now face deep societal divisions that the tense vote has exposed.

The final results of the Sunday’s presidential race showed that Nicusor Dan winning 53.6% of the votes, before the right -wing hard candidate, George Simion, who, during the campaign, described his movement as defending conservative values ​​such as patriotism, sovereignty and family, and which is called as the Romanian analog of American president Donald Trump.

The victory of the pro-EU candidate marked an important return in a tense election that many considered a geopolitics Choice for the old eastern country between East or West.

But like Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician, pro-Western reformist and mayor of Bucharest, takes control of the presidency of Romania, the fault lines remain in the country where endemic corruption, inequalities and erosion of confidence in traditional institutions and parties fueled a large rejection of the political establishment.

A tense election

Dan’s decisive victory on Sunday was a major turnaround of the first round of the elections on May 4, where Simion – a nationalist who pleaded to unite Romania with neighboring Moldova and is prohibited from entering Ukraine – was almost double on the part of Dan votes to become the clear manche front for the second round.

Simion in importance’s push came after Romania’s first attempt to hold the presidential election at the end of last year, which is Calin Georgescu The surveys in the first round have exceeded. The country’s political landscape was upset after a short court canceled the ballot, alleging electoral violations and Russian interference.

Capitalizing on the fury on the cancellation of this election, Simion Allied in Georgescu, who was Prohibited in March of the race During the elections, redo and promised to appoint him Prime Minister if Simion guaranteed the presidency.

While Simion was considered the favorite for the second round, a high participation rate of 64.7% in the on Sunday voting bulletin – more than in any Romanian election of the last quarter of a century – would have benefited Dan.

Adding to high participation was around 1.6 million votes from the members of the Grande Diaspora in Romania, which is mainly concentrated in Western Europe. Estimates suggest that between 4 and 5 million Romanians live abroad – almost a quarter of the country’s population. Most emigrated after Romania joined the EU in 2007, looking for high unemployment and low wages.

The fault lines remain

After Dan has sworn as president in the coming days, he will face the challenge of appointing a Prime Minister who can collect the support necessary to form a government – a major challenge in a country where anger against the politicians of the Establishment has led to the emergence of personalities like Georgescu and Simion.

However, Dan himself, who has gained importance as a civic activist fighting against illegal real estate projects and headed independently on a pro-EU note to support Ukraine and reaffirm Western ties, is one of the criticisms of the rooted political elite of Romania, and pleaded for tax reforms and a repression against corruption.

Addressing ecstatic supporters in the early hours of Monday after his victory, he took a reformist tone, saying that Romania began “a new chapter, and he needs each of you”.

“He needs experts to get involved in various public policies, she needs people in civil society, she needs new people in politics,” he said.

Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, says that Dan will face a series of immediate challenges, in particular by assembling a new government in what is now a “completely new political landscape”.

“He will have to push and show reforms while meeting resistance in the state apparatus and opposing the new populist parties that have now won 5 million votes,” Andrei said. “He will be under pressure to provide changes to exasperated Romania while trying to unify a divided country.”

Romania in the EU and NATO

As a member of the EU and one of the most east members of the NATO military alliance, Romania plays a central role in Western security infrastructure – in particular since the large -scale invasion of Russia in neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.

After this invasion, NATO strengthened its presence on the European eastern flank by sending additional multinational tactical groups to Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia, and Bucharest played an increasingly important role in the Alliance, Give a system of patriotic missiles to Ukraine And to open an international training center for f-16 jet pilots from Allied countries.

Dan said on Monday that he had received an appeal with NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte and that he transmitted to Rutte that Romania “will remain an ally firmly” within the Alliance. “At the same time, we are counting on NATO to guarantee the unshakable safety of Romania,” he said.

Many observers have considered Sunday voting as crucial to maintaining Romania’s place in the Western network of alliances – in particular in the midst of fears that the Trump administration does not reconsider its security commitments to European partners in the United States.

Siegfried Muresan, a Romanian member of the European Parliament, told the Associated Press on Monday that the result of the elections was a relief for many in Brussels, the EU facto capital, and that Romania should now play an active role in the block, in particular in security and defense.

“There has been an erosion of the credibility of Romania in the past year,” said Muresan. “This is partly restored now by the clear victory of the pro-European candidate.”

Muresan added that the Romanians will expect Dan to deliver promised reforms, but that his clarity is marking a setback for right -wing nationalism.

“People have really rallied behind Europe … and understood the risks posed by extremists,” he said. “So much resistances now with the new president, who is a unifier, who campaigned on the basis of the facts.”