Cliff Notes – Romanian election exit polls suggest surprise win for pro-Western candidate Nicusor Dan
- Exit polls indicate that pro-Western candidate Nicusor Dan is poised for an unexpected victory over nationalist George Simion in the Romanian presidential election.
- While official counts show Dan leading by five points with 78% of the votes processed, Simion disputes the results, claiming he is 400,000 votes ahead.
- The election results are under scrutiny, especially following the annulment of Romania’s previous vote due to allegations of electoral interference, highlighting the political tensions at play.
Romanian election exit polls suggest surprise win for pro-Western candidate Nicusor Dan
Exit polls from the Romanian presidential election suggest pro-Western centrist Nicusor Dan is on course for a surprise win over hard-right populist George Simion.
Mr Simion and his rival – who is currently Bucharest’s mayor – are facing off in the second round of elections.
According to the official tally, Mr Dan was leading comfortably by five points as more than 78% of the votes were counted.
However, Trump-supporting Mr Simion has already rejected his apparent loss and said estimates put him 400,000 votes ahead.
Real-time results show Mr Dan with a razor-edge lead with about half the votes counted.
Sources
Pro-EU moderate Nicușor Dan wins Romanian presidential election stunner – politico.eu
Romania election: Candidates neck-and-neck – early results – DW
Romania could be next to elect a right-wing populist: What to know – The Washington Post