Romanian presidential candidates launched their campaigns on Friday for a rerun of an election that was previously canceled due to allegations of Russian interference. The focus is on Romania’s involvement in NATO and the EU, as well as its support for neighboring Ukraine.
Currently leading the opinion polls for the first round of the two-round election scheduled for May 4 and 18 is opposition leader George Simion. He has garnered support from far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, who was a frontrunner in the canceled election and whom Simion had previously backed.
In a close second are two independent candidates: former leftist prime minister Victor Ponta and centrist Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan. Romania, a member of NATO and the EU, has played a significant role in assisting Ukraine in its ongoing struggle against Russia’s invasion, which has persisted for three years.
The president of Romania presides over the council responsible for decisions regarding military aid and defense expenditures and holds the power to veto EU votes that require unanimous agreement among the 27 member states.
Simion, 38, has previously committed to reinstating Romania’s borders as they were before World War II, which encompass regions currently part of Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine—countries that have labeled him persona non grata. Recently, however, he has moderated his stance.
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In a social media update, Simion stated, “We will advocate for peace and our future in this nation.” He characterized the cancellation of the initial election round as a ‘coup,’ a sentiment shared by some members of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
Both Simion and Ponta, who admires Trump, are running on a platform that prioritizes Romania’s interests. It remains uncertain how much support they would extend to Ukraine, but unlike Georgescu, they have not committed to ceasing all assistance.
Simion and Ponta have expressed their backing for a more proactive role for Romania within the EU and NATO, while also recognizing the advantages these organizations provide. Dan supports EU and NATO initiatives and is in favor of continued aid for Ukraine.
Georgescu was disqualified from running after the Constitutional Court annulled the initial ballot in December, citing Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.
The government has tightened campaign regulations, mandating that advertisements disclose their sponsors and requiring social media platforms to promptly remove content upon request.
The local think tank Expert Forum has urged election officials to release candidates’ financing information on a weekly basis.
Georgescu, who claimed to have spent no money on his campaign, received significant promotion on TikTok through coordinated accounts, recommendation algorithms, and paid advertisements. He is currently under investigation.
TikTok has denied providing him with any special advantages and stated in a recent report on combating disinformation that it had eliminated six networks of malicious accounts during the election, including 27,217 accounts managed by a fake engagement vendor to promote Simion’s party and Georgescu.
Israeli tech firm Cyabra, which employs machine learning to detect fake accounts, discovered that 16% of X accounts participating in discussions about Romania’s canceled election were fraudulent, indicating a significant potential for misinformation.
