The presidential election in Romania ended with the authoritative triumph of Nicoşor Dan, a centre candidate who defeated AUR organization leader George Simion, with a difference of about 7 percent points. Despite a clear decision on paper, the elections left more questions than answers – both at home and abroad.
At the centre of these controversy was Simion, who not only questioned the legality of the election process, but besides recalled the disturbing events of the earlier, cancelled circular of elections in November 2024.
The past of these elections did not begin in May, but in November 2024 erstwhile Romania held the first circular of voting to elect a fresh president. The winner was then announced to Călin Georgescu, who won the majority of the votes, ahead of both George Simion and another counter-candidates.
However, these elections raised immediate doubts. Organisations monitoring the electoral process reported irregularities – from problems with the digital infrastructure of the electoral commissions to suspicious activity in abroad social networks, in peculiar from the Russian Federation. A fewer days after the Romanian Constitutional Court announced the decision: the elections are annulled.
The authoritative reason was “many and documented cases of external interference and procedural irregularities threatening the integrity of the vote.” This decision was unprecedented. For the first time since the fall of communism in Romania, the consequence of the presidential election has been annulled. Călin Georgescu was excluded from participating in the repeated elections, and a fresh deadline was set for May 2025.
It was then that George Simion gained crucial popularity as 1 of the main critics of ambiguity around the first round. As AUR leader, Simion demanded full disclosure of the documents, the transparency of the Court's proceedings and a detailed investigation into abroad influences. In his communicative there was then a fundamental motive, which continues to unfold today: concern for the transparency and sovereignty of the Romanian democratic process.
May elections and accusations of manipulation
When May came that year, Romania was already a profoundly polarized country politically. Simion acted as an anti-system candidate who promised to rebuild national subjectivity, strengthen the institution and break with the oligarchic dominant policy for years. In the campaign, he utilized a simple, direct, frequently emotional, but effective language to scope millions of disillusioned voters position quo.
Official results brought triumph to Nicoşor Dan, who won 53.6% of the vote, while George Simion scored 46.4%. However, Simion did not find these results fair. He lodged a complaint with the Constitutional Court, indicating cases of external interference, information manipulation and irregularities in the voting system.
His legal squad pointed out, among others, the situation in which votes were expected to be cast by deceased people, the deficiency of transparency in the IT translation of votes and the suspicious actions of media institutions and pollers in the days leading up to the elections. Although many of these allegations have not yet been verified, their number and seriousness have contributed to an increase in social and media tension.
Among the loudest accusations was the issue of the Telegram app. Its founder, Pavel Durov, revealed that he was to receive a request from French intelligence services to block any Romanian conservative accounts just before the election. Durov refused and the French authorities denied specified action. However, the very fact that specified information leaked to the media deepened the impression that the run was not held on equal terms.
Who truly is George Simion?
George Simion has been operating in Romanian public space for years as an activist, publicist and political leader. He founded AUR in 2019 as a movement oriented to national, social and Christian values. The organization rapidly gained popularity through consistent criticism of the European Union, promoting Romania's sovereignty and opposition to centralisation of power in Brussels.
Simion is not afraid of harsh words, but at the same time is consistently cut off from accusations of extremism. His run was based on the slogan "Romania Romanians" – not as an expression of exclusion, but as an appeal to focus on national interest in national and abroad politics.
For many of his constituents, it is the only voice that speaks of problems ignored by conventional parties: mass emigration of young Romanians, poorness in smaller towns, the collapse of local communities, or besides much dependence on external interests. Although his critics call him a populist, supporters see him as an authentic leader who is not afraid to face the system.
It is worth noting that Simion has already shown erstwhile that he can work for transparency – he is the 1 who made the scenes of the cancelled 2024 tour sound, forcing a debate on the fairness of elections. His current actions – a complaint to the Court, an independent audit request, an emphasis on the transparency of electoral processes – can be seen not only as a consequence to failure but as a consequence of erstwhile demands.
What's next for Romania?
Regardless of what decision the Constitutional Court will take on Simion's complaint, Romania was at a political crossroads. On the 1 hand, we have an officially approved president and unchangeable state institutions, on the another hand, millions of citizens who feel that their voice may have been manipulated or miscalculated.
The current situation is not only a test for democracy, but besides for the maturity of the full political class. If Simion's allegations are ignored or swept under the carpet, this could aggravate the crisis of assurance in the institution. On the another hand, Romania will face a further wave of destabilisation and the request for reforms if they are justified.
George Simion has already announced that, regardless of the decision of the Court, he will not retreat from public life. Its aim is to proceed social mobilization and to build a political alternate to the existing establishment. All points to the fact that he has not yet said his last word – both as a politician and as a typical of an crucial social voice who demands justice, fairness and fresh quality in Romanian democracy.
