INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The liberal, pro-EU mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, has fought off a strong obstacle from a Romanian conservative nationalist to win the
presidency after months of political turbulence.George Simion, the leader of the reactionary AUR celebration, won a dramatic first-round
success earlier this month, riding a wave of anger from Romanians who had actually seen the presidential race annulled late last year since
of claims of Russian interference.But it was the softly spoken Nicusor Dan who swept to triumph, winning 54% of the vote in Romania, despite
the fact that Simion was more effective in the diaspora.We need to develop Romania together irrespective of who you elected, stated Dan,
when his triumph was secure.More than 11.6 million Romanians enacted Sundays run-off, and Dan brought in the support of more than six
million of them.The mathematician waited till after midnight on Sunday before he might be absolutely sure that the numbers were on his side
and he could join his fans in a park opposite City Hall in Bucharest.They went wild, shouting his name and cheering
At one point he was almost mobbed however this was a big minute for the president-elect and for his supporters after months of political
tension.A neighborhood of Romanians who want a profound change in Romania won, he said.Romanians are broadly unhappy with the supremacy of
mainstream parties and the turbulence in this European Union and Nato member state intensified previously this month when the federal
government collapsed because its candidate had failed to make the 2nd round.While Nicusor Dan campaigned on battling corruption and
preserving assistance for northern neighbour Ukraine, Simion assaulted the EU and required cutting aid to Kyiv.Russia, do not forget,
Romania isnt yours, Dans fans chanted.Even though exit surveys had offered him victory, they did not include the critical diaspora vote and
Simion hold on to the belief that he could still win.I won, I am the new president of Romania and I am giving back power to the Romanians,
he firmly insisted initially.It was not up until the early hours of Monday that he yielded triumph on Facebook
A protest planned by his fans was then apparently called off.During the election campaign Simion had stood side by side with Calin
Georgescu, the reactionary fringe figure who had shocked Romania with a first-round governmental victory at the end of last year, buoyed by
an enormous TikTok campaign.The vote was annulled over allegations of project fraud and Russian interference and Georgescu was barred from
Russia rejected any involvement.Asked by the BBC on Sunday whether he was acting as Georgescus puppet, George Simion stated: The puppets are
those who annulled the elections ..
I am a male of my individuals and my individuals chose Calin Georgescu.Do we like democracy only when the good guy has won? I dont believe
this is an option.He said he was a patriot and implicated what he called the traditional media of smearing him as a pro-Russian or
fascist.The secret to Simions success in the preliminary was his remarkable win among diaspora citizens in Western Europe, including in the
UK.His advocates ended up in force again on Sunday, with partial results giving him 68.5% assistance in Spain, 66.8% in Italy and 67% in
He also had the edge in the UK, where voters stated they would have chosen Calin Georgescu if authorities had actually not disallowed him
from running.We didnt understand anything about [Georgescu] Then I listened to what he was saying, and you can tell hes a good Christian,
stated 37-year-old Catalina Grancea.She had promised to go back to Romania if Simion had won and her mother Maria said she too had actually
voted for modification: Our children were forced to leave Romania because they couldnt find any jobs there.However, Nicusor Dans citizens
came out in even larger numbers both in Romania and abroad
In neighbouring Moldova 87% of Romanians backed the mayor of Bucharest.The presidents of both Moldova and Ukraine congratulated him on his
victory.Moldova and Romania stand together, supporting one another and working side by side for a peaceful, democratic, and European future
for all our citizens, stated Maia Sandu.For Ukraine, as a neighbour and good friend, it is necessary to have Romania as a trusted partner,
stated Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media that Romanians had actually turned
out in massive numbers and had actually selected the guarantee of an open, flourishing Romania in a strong Europe.In completion this was an
emphatic No vote to a strong nationalist with an isolationist vision for Romania, a recognized provocateur and a guy whose dedication to EU
subscription and to the blocs core values was not clear.Despite his strong proving in round one, those Romanians who stressed over what he
represented appear to have rallied to block him from power.But Simion did win a substantial piece of the vote, and his message will still
resonate with many.Source: BBC-- Agencies
