Romanians began voting on Sunday in the first round of the presidential election. The favorites for this largely ceremonial role are Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and George Simion, of the far-right nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians.

Thirteen candidates are in the running, with the top two facing each other in the second round on December 8.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (05:00 UTC) and will close at 9 p.m. Romanians abroad started voting on Friday.

Romania, a member of the European Union and NATO, holds parliamentary elections on December 1 to determine who will lead the country.

Nationalists expect breakthrough

Observers expect the final vote to pit Simion against Ciolacu, whose PSD has dominated Romanian politics since the end of the Cold War.

Ciolacu is polled at 25%. He hopes to convince voters by promising to ensure “stability”. Ciolacu’s government provided support to neighboring Ukraine after the Russian invasion, while Romania took an increasingly important role within NATO.

Simion, on the other hand, opposes military aid to Ukraine, is a strong supporter of Donald Trump and wants to impose a system modeled on the right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni in Italy. The far-right leader has been criticized over allegations he met with Russian spies, a claim he has denied.

“I would like, in the next five to ten years, Romanians to be really proud to be Romanians, to promote Romanian culture and Romanian products,” he said in Bucharest, the capital.

The AUR entered Parliament for the first time in 2020, going from a relatively obscure party to winning 9% of the vote, reflecting the rise of far-right parties across Europe.

Romania has a large diaspora within the European Union, which will likely play a central role in this election.

Ciolacu told the AP news agency that as president his priority would be to “convince Romanians to stay or return home” to help rebuild the country.

Inflation and poverty

Other candidates vying for the top job include Elena Lasconi, of the economically liberal Save Romania Union party; former NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, independent candidate; and Nicolae Ciuca, a former army general and leader of the center-right National Liberal Party, which governs in coalition with the PSD, although relations are strained.

Analysts predict that frustration with inflation and poverty could boost Simion’s curb appeal in a tight race.

“Romanian democracy is in danger for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989,” political scientist Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP.

Whoever wins the runoff will replace the current president, Klaus Iohannis, a liberal who strongly supports Ukraine. He has held this position since 2014.

ss/ab (AP, Reuters)