Romania is set to hold its first round of presidential elections again on Sunday, May 4, with a second round to follow on May 18.
Here is why the elections are important for Europe, and who might dictate the role of the country moving forward.
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Why are the elections important?
The fresh elections take place after the Romanian constitutional court annulled the results of the elections in late 2024, citing Russian interference via “massive” social media promotion and cyberattacks, after far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round.
Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) subsequently barred Georgescu from the new elections, citing his antidemocratic and extremist views.
The decision was divisive in Romania and is likely to impact the results as far-right candidates stand off against pro-EU ones, with the former now leading in the polls.
The outcome might well determine the country’s role in NATO, which could spell trouble for the bloc as the country remains a strong ally on the bloc’s eastern flank, with construction of the Atlantic Alliance’s largest base in Europe already underway.
Who are the top contenders?
George Simion
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Far-right candidate George Simion, leader of the radical right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), has been leading the polls as of April 26, according to Politico.
Simion is an ally of Georgescu, with the former sharing an X update on Tuesday that says, “A vote for George Simion is a vote for Călin Georgescu, on May 4 we take revenge.
A former Moldovan official has accused Simion of working with Russian intelligence in a 2023 interview. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has also reportedly banned Simion from entering the country due to “systematic anti-Ukrainian activities,” as reported by Euractiv.
However, Simion has described Russia as a “threat” in a recent interview with the Financial Times.
“[Russian leader Vladimir] Putin’s Russia was and is one of the biggest threats for the European states, especially for us, for the Baltic states and for Poland… We need unity, but not just in Europe: also between Europe and the United States, we need the same approach,” he said.
Simion has opposed military aid for Ukraine in late 2024 but said it does not mean he is pro-Russian, according to a Voice of America report at the time.
Crin Antonescu
Crin Antonescu is a former history professor who has held top government positions in the 2010s and is returning to politics for the 2025 elections.
Antonescu is backed by the governing coalition and trails behind Simion in Politico’s poll.
Antonescu’s statements have marked a moderate pro-European stance – during a party congress in February, Antonescu echoed a fellow politician’s call for maintaining traditional family values and opposed what they called progressive ideas.
“I don’t want a country where we have a heterosexual parade one week and a homosexual parade the next. Everyone should keep their private lives private – without any parades,” Antonescu said, according to Euractiv.
On Ukraine, he has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine but said he would “continue to support Ukraine logistically and politically” if elected.
“If I were]the president of Romania, we would not send troops to Ukraine. Period. We will continue to support Ukraine logistically and politically. But we will not send people there,” he said in a February Facebook update.
Nicușor Dan
Coming in third in Politico’s poll is Nicușor Dan, Bucharest’s two-term mayor and a fervent pro-EU and pro-Ukrainian candidate.
Dan is an independent candidate running on an anti-corruption platform.
Romania Insider has described Dan as the “acting leader of the democratic opposition” in Romania. He has also called for continued aid for Ukraine, as well as the increase of Romania’s defense spending from 2.5% to 3.5% of GDP by 2030.
“I want to underline that the war in Ukraine is essential for the security of Romania and Moldova,” Dan told Reuters.
However, Reuters noted in another report that Dan has also been criticized for his ties with pro-Russian businessman Mihai Paun.
Victor Ponta
Victor Ponta served as the Romanian prime minister between 2012 and 2015 and runs on a nationalist, Romania-first platform for the upcoming elections.
Ponta, also running on an independent platform, ranks fourth in Politico’s poll.
Ponta has voiced support for US President Donald Trump but is cautious on Ukraine: Ponta supports existing military aid for Ukraine but has vowed to end Ukrainian grain exports via Romania’s Black Sea ports to help protect local farmers, according to Reuters.
He also calls for a boost in defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2026, and potentially help defend neighboring Moldova in a potential invasion by Russia.
According to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Romanian prosecutors charged Ponta in 2016 with abuse of office and “complicity in money laundering” connected with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s visit to the country in 2012, but Ponta denied any wrongdoing.
Elena Lasconi
Elena Lasconi is the leader of the Save Romania Union Party and is running on a pro-European platform. Lasconi placed second after Georgescu in the annulled elections, but she now ranks fifth in Politico’s poll.
Her party has withdrawn support for her and endorsed Dan instead, according to Balkan Insight.
In an op-ed for Kyiv Post ahead of the 2024 elections, Lasconi highlighted the importance of Romania within the EU and NATO and called for more active participation.
“As one of the European Union’s easternmost members, and as a NATO ally bordering the Black Sea, Romania has always been strategically significant. But today, our geographic position places us on the front line of Europe’s defense, with Russian aggression making the Black Sea region a key flashpoint,” she wrote.
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