Romania is holding a second round of presidential elections on 18 May – after months of political chaos that led to the annulment of the previous election and a ban for the favourite in the race.
Polling stations opened at 7:00am, voting will close at 9:00pm, with exit poll results to be known immediately afterwards.
Nationalist Giorghe Simion and centrist Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan are competing in the second round.
Simion was nominated to replace Kelin Georgescu, who was not allowed to run after he won the first round of voting in November. Romanian authorities annulled the results of that vote, claiming Russian interference in the election in favour of Georgescu.
In the first round of the new election, which was held on 4 May, Simion got about 41%, while Dan got almost 21%.
Simion has led in most polls since then, although the latest figures show a nearly even contest.
In November 2024, the SBU announced a ban on George Simion’s entry to Ukraine, attributing it to his anti-Ukrainian activities aimed at denying Ukrainian borders and spreading misinformation about the oppression of the Romanian minority. Simion responded by saying that the decision was a consequence of his “pro-Romanian activities” and support for the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Nicusor Dan, the current mayor of Bucharest, has a clearly pro-Ukrainian stance. He has supported military aid and also favoured Romania’s active participation in European initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine.
Romania’s president appoints the prime minister (in agreement with parliament), represents the country at NATO and EU summits, and can veto on behalf of the country in the EU.