After a series of twists and turns, local time on May 4th, Romania held the presidential election vote again.

According to The Guardian and Politico.eu, preliminary predictions show that George Simion, chairman of the Alliance for United Romanians, easily led in the first round of voting with 30% to 33% of the votes. Klin Antonescu, candidate of the Alliance for Forward Elections in Romania, and Nicusor Darnita, mayor of Bucharest, ranked second and third respectively, receiving 23% and 21% of the votes.

The report pointed out that the above predictions were made based on the voting results in the few hours before the closure of polling stations at 9 PM local time on the evening of April 4th, without taking into account overseas Romanian voters, whose votes may account for 10% of the total votes.

It is reported that since no candidate received more than 50% of the votes in the first round of voting, the two candidates with the highest support rates will face off in the second round of voting on May 18th.

Simion (right) and Klin Georgescu (left) cast their votes together. AP

Simion rejects 'far-right' label: pro-Romania only

According to public information, Simion was born in September 1986. He studied history during his university years and soon became involved in political activities. After running unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for the European Parliament, he founded the Alliance for United Romanians in 2019.

The Alliance for United Romanians describes itself as center-right, patriotic, and Christian democratic, with four pillars: family, nation, Christian faith, and freedom.

Politico evaluated him, stating that many policy positions of the Alliance for United Romanians, from social conservatism to halting military aid to Ukraine, align with Trump's MAGA movement. During the pandemic, the party's approval rating surged, using anti-scientific sentiment to oppose government measures to restrict virus transmission and inciting conspiracy theories about vaccines on social media.

The Guardian described "far-right" victory as potentially causing Romania to deviate from its current pro-Western path, becoming a disruptive force within the EU and NATO.

Simion told Politico that he rejected the "far-right" label. He also denied being against Ukraine or pro-Russian, stating that he is only pro-Romania.

Simion once said that if he were elected, he would reveal "how much we have contributed to Ukraine, which has been at the expense of the interests of Romanian children and the elderly."

Simion frequently criticized Russia while strongly attacking Brussels and praising Trump's Republican Party. He once claimed that his goal was to establish a "MAGA spirit"-inspired national alliance within the EU.

Simion: If I win, Georgescu can be prime minister

In last November's Romanian presidential election, far-right candidate Klin Georgescu, labeled as "pro-Russian" and "anti-NATO," won the first round of voting. At that time, Simion, who ranked fourth, congratulated Georgescu and stated he would support anyone but Prime Minister Cioloș in the second round.

Romanian authorities did not accept this result and instead accused Russia of interfering in the election, alleging that TikTok had "allegedly violated rules" during the election period and requesting EU intervention. Russia called this accusation "absolutely baseless." TikTok also refuted it.

However, on December 6th, the Constitutional Court of Romania canceled the results of the first round of the presidential election, just two days before the second round. The entire election process was re-conducted on May 4th this year. In March, the Central Electoral Commission of Romania announced that Georgescu was banned from participating in the re-vote of the presidential election in May.

On May 4th local time, 38-year-old Simion expressed when voting alongside 63-year-old Georgescu that they "have only one mission: to restore constitutional order and democracy. My sole goal is to secure the top position for the Romanian people."

Georgescu described the re-vote as "a carefully planned scam by those who treat deception as the only state policy." However, he also stated that he voted to "acknowledge the power of democracy and the strength of votes that frighten the system."

On May 4th local time, Simion said that if he wins, his goal is to bring Georgescu into the government. "If the Romanian people wish so, Georgescu can become the leader of our country through several means," he said. "We can form a majority and make him prime minister, we can hold early elections or a referendum."

It is reported that in the parliamentary election in December last year, Simion's Alliance for United Romanians became the second largest party and, along with other far-right organizations, won 35% of the seats. If parliament rejects two proposed governments within 60 days, early elections will be triggered.

The New York Times pointed out that both Simion and Georgescu portrayed themselves as defenders of ordinary Romanians against corrupt establishment. Public information shows that Georgescu was once a prime ministerial candidate supported by Simion in 2020 and 2021.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500815061834842658/

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