Centrist wins Romania’s tense presidential race over right-wing nationalist

Pro‑EU candidate Nicusor Dan won Romania’s presidential runoff against hard‑right nationalist George Simion, with about 54% of the vote after a high 64% turnout. The election was seen as a choice between East and West amid recent political turmoil following a canceled election. Dan, the incumbent Bucharest mayor, surged from a first‑round loss to defeat Simion, who led initially but lost support due to his anti‑EU stance. Thousands celebrated Dan’s victory, seen as a win for Romania’s pro‑European future. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Dan, praising the strong voter turnout, NPR has reported. Simion called for election vigilance but accepted the results.