Simion in the poll: does democracy come back to Romania?

Simion in the poll: does democracy come back to Romania?

Bucharest, Rumänien - The election campaign in Romania has already started and the political landscape is shaped by intensive tensions. According to a recent survey by Atlasintel, the opposition candidate George Simion leads with 30.4 % of the votes in the first round of election, which makes him favorite for the upcoming presidential elections on May 4, 2025. In second place is the party -free mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, with 26 %, followed by Crin Antonescu of the government alliance with 17.9 %. Two other applicants remained far with 9 % and 3.9 %. However, this survey is considered controversial by some, since earlier forecasts were assessed as inaccurate, as Compact Online

Simion, who performs as a leader of the right populist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (Aur), has set itself ambitious goals. He wants to help Romanian democracy again and sees himself as one of the last defenders against an impending dictatorship. In a current statement, he described Romania as a "shared country" and criticized former heads of government in favor of not having fulfilled the promises of freedom and prosperity. Despite his populist rhetoric, he is faced with a challenge because he is under criminal investigation, which he considers to be politically motivated. Critics accuse him of having given violence against the cancellation of the last choice, which he refers to as a coup.

the political context

The political situation is also tense by the absence of the original election winner, Calin Georgescu, who cannot compete for the new election because of its exclusion. Simion had supported Georgescu in the previous election, and his disqualification provided the right scene with a difficult situation. This means that Simion may be able to address a broader voter base to mobilize stronger support, such as "https://apnews.com/article/romania-election-presidecy-europe- 0777731c1a0defd5777c03343"> AP News explained.

The elections are held in a climate of political instability, which is tightened by exclusion procedures towards other candidates such as Diana Sosoaca. Sosoaca was filtered because, according to the Constitutional Court, it is considered not presidential due to its public statements about the EU and NATO. The nervousness within the political landscape is increased by the high turnout and demands for a national emergency vote that set a signal for mobilizing the electorate.

public mood and surveys

public surveys show a mixed picture of support for various parties. While the Social Democrats (PSD) are 26 % and Aur at 19 %, according to a CURS survey, the national liberals (PNL) and the Union for Rescue Romania (USR) compete for positions three and four. The growing approval for EU-skeptical and ultranationalist candidates is also recorded.

Romania seems to be moving to a directional election campaign that could not only decide on the presidency, but also about the further political stability of the country. The interest in EU and NATO-friendly politics remains, while the influence of extreme political forces increases, so that a clear tension between the pro-European and nationalist forces becomes visible, such as Euroneews determine.