BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) 鈥 Sitting at a desk inside Romania鈥檚 sprawling Parliament building in the capital, presidential front-runner George Simion accuses the current government of attacking democracy and says he is the only candidate who hasn’t been tainted by holding power.
The 38-year-old leader of the hard-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, won a landslide in on Sunday and will face pro-Western reformist Nicusor Dan in a runoff on May 18.
He says his success proves that voters are ready for change, and insists that is what he represents. 鈥淚 am a person who was never in government, and was never partners with those who made this 鈥 coup d鈥檈tat against the will of the people,” he told The Associated Press on Tuesday in an interview in the Palace of the Parliament building in Bucharest.
Romania鈥檚 political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right topped the first round, following allegations of , which Moscow has denied.
In March, Georgescu was in the rerun election, and Simion emerged as the standard-bearer for the hard right. Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially among those who voted for Georgescu, a sizable electorate that Simion has sought to tap into.
Political turmoil and discontented voters
Sunday’s vote underscored strong anti-establishment sentiment among voters and signaled a shift from traditional mainstream parties. It also renewed the political uncertainty that has gripped the European Union and NATO member country.
鈥淭he Romanians are upset,鈥 Simion said, “It鈥檚 not every day in a European Union member state you have annulled elections 鈥 Romanians want a change, and I represent change.鈥
Sunday鈥檚 vote also renewed political turmoil after Prime Minister Marcel following his governing coalition candidate鈥檚 failure to advance to the runoff.
Simion, who came fourth in last year鈥檚 race and later backed Georgescu, called the former candidate the 鈥渞ightful president,鈥 and said that at some point, Georgescu “must be in power in some form or another.鈥
“If he asks to be prime minister, I will nominate him,鈥 he said. “Because he was the one voted by the Romanians.鈥
Opposition warns of a choice for or against the West
In 2019, Simion founded the AUR party, which rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election and proclaims to stand for 鈥渇amily, nation, faith, and freedom.” It has since doubled its support to become the second-largest party in the Romanian legislature.
In more stable times, Simion says he would focus on administrative reforms, slashing red tape, and reducing bureaucracy and taxes 鈥 but he insists that returning to democratic norms is his priority. 鈥淲e are in an extraordinary situation right now,鈥 he said.
Simion鈥檚 opponent in the runoff, Nicusor Dan, is a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who has warned voters that they face a choice 鈥渂etween a pro-Western direction for Romania and an anti-Western one.鈥
鈥淚 call on all Romanians to be part of this battle, and I am optimistic that we will win,鈥 the pro-EU politician said after he advanced to the final round.
Simion鈥檚 critics have long accused him of being pro-Russian and warn that his presidency would undermine both the EU and NATO as Moscow’s war drags on in Ukraine. He rejected the accusations and said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not for the good of the Romanian people to be close to Russia.
鈥淚 will fight for my people as part of the EU and NATO to have a normal life here at home, and not have to work abroad and contribute to the budgets and to the well-being of other states,鈥 said Simion, who won a massive 61% of Romania鈥檚 large diaspora vote.
Siegfried Muresan, a Romanian member of the European Parliament, said a day after the first-round vote that a Simion presidency would be 鈥渂ad news鈥 for Romania and Europe, and accused the AUR leader of having 鈥漝isdain for democratic processes.鈥
鈥淕eorge Simion is not a conservative politician. He is an anti-European extremist. His election would endanger Romania, threaten European stability, and serve as a strategic victory for Russia,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e offers no viable solutions to Romania鈥檚 challenges.鈥
Simion rebutted those claims. 鈥淚 am not the one who annulled the elections, not the one with authoritarian reflexes,鈥 he said.
A vocal supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, Simion said his political platform aims to return Romania to democracy, and 鈥渢o guarantee freedom: freedom of elections, freedom of speech.鈥
Simion banned from Moldova and Ukraine
The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy.
However, a Simion presidency would pose unique foreign policy conundrums. He is banned from entering neighboring Moldova on allegations of trying to destabilize the country, and is also banned from neighboring Ukraine for 鈥渟ystemic anti-Ukrainian鈥 activities.
鈥淎fter I am elected president, having a respectful way of dealing with our neighbors and reaching out to them, they will need us 鈥 I will be proactive in that direction,鈥 he said of the two countries, adding that he will support their goal to join the EU.
On Ukraine, he opposes sending any boots on the ground from NATO countries to protect any peace agreements, fearing escalation. 鈥淒onald Trump won the elections under a mandate in which he promised peace. Now he must deliver peace,鈥 he said.
Addressing concerns that Romania would become less attractive to investors if he wins the presidency, he said: 鈥淥ur only possibility of growth is to attract foreign investment, combined with exploiting the natural resources Romania has.鈥
Although his AUR party opposes same-sex marriage and has close ties to the Romanian Orthodox Church, Simion addressed fears that he would attack LGBTQ+ rights by saying he wouldn鈥檛 push to change any current legislation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 everyone鈥檚 right to have what sort of sexual orientation they want,鈥 he said.
鈥淲e as Romanians are a majority socially conservative people, and we were accepted in the European Union as socially conservative people,” he added. 鈥淛ust because you love your identity, your tradition, just because you go to church, doesn鈥檛 mean you are a bad person.鈥
As Romania seeks to restore its democracy after last year鈥檚 election fiasco, Simion compares Romania鈥檚 struggles of today and its 1989 revolution that toppled a harsh communist regime.
鈥淔rom what I see,鈥 he said, 鈥渇or freedom, you have to constantly fight.鈥
