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Politico (16 May 2025)

By Tim Ross, Andrei Popoviciu and Max Griera

Surveys show the centrist Bucharest mayor catching up with hard-right populist George Simion ahead of Sunday’s vote. But is this poll surge too late, or even real?

The contest for the Romanian presidency is almost over. Sunday’s vote will determine whether a strategically vital NATO member on the EU’s eastern edge takes a turn against Ukraine under the disruptive influence of a hard-right populist, or remains firmly anchored in the traditional pro-Brussels mainstream.

In the lead after the first round is the Donald Trump-loving George Simion, a 38-year-old nationalist who opposes aid to Ukraine and has previously favored uniting Romania with its neighbor Moldova. 

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