Romania celebrates this Sunday the first round of the presidential elections with 14 candidates in the running, although Polls anticipate that none of them will reach an absolute majority. necessary to get the position.
The country, which is one of the poorest in the European Union, elects its new head of state today with the political debate over whether to maintain the military support provided by Ukraine in its defense of Russia and the advance of the nationalist far-right.
In connection with the war on the continent, due to Romania’s geopolitical situationthe citizens of this region they feel especially vulnerable in the face of the aggression and pressure exerted by the Kremlin not only in Ukraine, but also in neighboring Moldova.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the current president of Romania, the liberal Klaus Iohannishas defended unconditional solidarity with the attacked population and maximum humanitarian and military support for kyiv.
The pro-European and leader of the Romanian Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacuwho is also the favorite according to the polls, has promised to maintain that line, as well as its strong commitment to the EU and NATO.
“Ukraine was unjustifiably attacked. Fixed and recognized borders were attacked, which is unacceptable,” the candidate said in statements to Der Standard collected by Efe.
“We need greater coordination and resource allocation within the EU and NATO to effectively deter Russia“adds the politician after highlighting the “very difficult moment of security policy” that his country faces.
In this very complicated geopolitical context, the new president of Romania must confront these adjacent conflicts to the region, since, in Romania’s semi-presidential system, the president has powers in the country’s foreign policy, mainly representative, and is a mediator between the powers of the State, as well as between them and society.
In addition, the country’s leader also serves as commander of the Armed Forces and presides over the Supreme Council of National Defense.
The favorites
According to the latest surveys by the AtlasIntel Institute, Ciolacu (PSD) could take 24.4% of the votes, followed by the far-right candidate Simion (AUR) (15.4%) and the liberal-conservative Elena Lasconi (USR) (15.3%).
In case no one gets more than 50% of the ballotsthe two candidates with the most votes will compete in a final round next December 8.
Of the 14 candidates, five can aspire to reach that second round: the three already mentioned, Mircea Geoana, independent candidate who was a minister in the social democratic government of Adrian Nastase between 2000 and 2004; and Nicolae Ciuca, of the National Liberal Party.
Ciolacu, from prime minister to president?
Marcel Ciolacu, born in 1967, leads the polls as a candidate for the Social Democratic Party (PSD). Serving as prime minister since June 2023, his management has been marked by fiscal policies that have strengthened popular support to his party.
A lawyer by training and a successful businessman in his native region of Buzau, he has chaired the PSD since 2020 and has been key to the stability of the government coalition with the PNL liberals.
Another reason that could boost Ciolacu’s support in the current elections is the promise of integrate Romania into the Shengen space.
In fact, this country and Bulgaria They will most likely be full members of this free movement zone as of January 1, 2025, as announced on Friday by the participants in the meeting of Interior Ministers together with Austria and Hungary.
Simion, the ‘Romanian Orbán’
Another of the most relevant figures in these elections is the leader of the far-right party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, who has gained notoriety with a nationalist and eurosceptic discourse. Yesu active presence on social networks has catapulted his popularity, going from being almost unknown to becoming the main force of the opposition
Simion has declared Donald Trump admirerwho has said that he will bring peace to Ukraine, and the Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultranationalist Viktor Orbán, to the point of defining himself as the “Romanian Orbán“.
Like Orbán, Simion has promised to defend Christian values and has attacked the LGTBIQ+ community.
Although he seeks to moderate his image, his past in a group of radical football fans and his continuous controversies make him a very polarizing candidate.
When will the results be known?
In this first round of the presidential elections, they are called more than 18 million citizens Romanians with the right to vote who will elect who will be their head of state for a period of 5 years.
Votes can be cast at the almost 19,000 polling stations from 6:00 a.m. to 20.00 (local time), or until the last citizen who shows up before closing votes. In exceptional cases, the opening of the polls may be extended until midnight.
Of the 18,008,480 citizens registered on the electoral lists, about 989,000 vote abroadwho already started sending their ballots on November 22.
Citizens will have to choose between 13 candidates who have run to occupy the “Cotroneci seat“, as the chair of the head of state is called, whose headquarters are in the palace of the same name.
Although 14 names will appear on the ballots, voters They will only be able to support 13 of themsince the right-wing and former prime minister Ludovic Orban He withdrew from the race.
In short, given that none of the 14 candidates are expected to achieve the absolute majority necessary for their appointment in the first round, the two most voted this Sunday They will go to a final round on December 8.
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