BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) 鈥� Romanians are casting ballots Sunday in a critical presidential election redo after last year鈥檚 annulled vote plunged the European Union and NATO member country into its worst political crisis in decades.
Eleven candidates are vying for the presidency and a May 18 runoff is expected. Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT). By noon, 3.5 million people 鈥� about 19.5% of eligible voters 鈥� had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau, with a massive 500,000 coming from voters abroad.
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.
Like many countries in the EU, in Romania, fueled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Georgescu, who is from the rerun.
While data from local surveys should be taken with caution, a median of polls suggests that will enter the runoff, likely pitting him against Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, or the governing coalition鈥檚 candidate, Crin Antonescu.
At a polling station in the capital, Bucharest, Simion appeared Sunday morning alongside Georgescu and told reporters: 鈥淲e are here with one mission only: the return to constitutional order, the return to democracy. I have no other goal than first place for the Romanian people.鈥�
For his part, Georgescu called the vote rerun 鈥渁 fraud orchestrated by those who have made deceit the only state policy,鈥� but said he was there to 鈥渁cknowledge the power of democracy, the power of the vote that frightens the system, that terrifies the system.鈥�
Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, is running on a pro-EU 鈥淗onest Romania鈥� ticket. After casting his ballot, Dan said he voted 鈥渇or hope and a new beginning鈥� for Romania. 鈥淚 voted with realism, because Romania is going through a difficult time,鈥� he said.
Veteran centrist Antonescu, 65, who campaigned on retaining Romania鈥檚 pro-Western orientation, said Sunday morning that he voted for 鈥渁 united Romania, for a strong Romania, for a dignified Romania.鈥�
Victor Ponta, a former prime minister between 2012 and 2015, has also pushed a MAGA-style 鈥淩omania First鈥� campaign and boasts of having close ties to the Trump administration.
Another hopeful, Elena Lasconi, came second in last year鈥檚 first round ballot and is participating in the rerun. She has positioned herself as a staunchly pro-Western, anti-system candidate, railing against what she describes as a corrupt political class.
Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially for those who voted for Georgescu, a sizeable electorate that Simion has sought to tap into.
鈥淭he anti-establishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement, but is against the people who destroyed this country,鈥� Simion, who came fourth in last year鈥檚 race and later backed Georgescu, told The Associated Press days before the rerun. 鈥淲e are not a democratic state anymore.鈥�
Rares Ghiorghies, 36, who works in the energy sector and voted for Simion, says he hopes that if he secures the presidency, Romania can 鈥渞eturn to the basic principles of democracy, regain our confidence.鈥�
鈥淲hat happened in December 2024 is definitely a dark chapter in the history of this country, and we can no longer accept it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping things will get back to normal.鈥�
Simion said that his hard-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party is 鈥減erfectly aligned with the MAGA movement,鈥� capitalizing on a growing wave of populism in Europe after U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 political comeback. AUR rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election, proclaims to stand for 鈥渇amily, nation, faith, and freedom,鈥� and .
Retiree Done Chiritoi says he feels robbed of his previous vote, which has left him with 鈥渙nly bad words鈥� for the political class. 鈥淚f my vote gets canceled again or if the one I chose won鈥檛 get elected, I鈥檒l take to the streets,鈥� he said.
The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances, which have become strained since the canceled election fiasco.
The decision to annul the election and the ban on Georgescu鈥檚 candidacy drew criticism from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and Russia, which publicly supported his candidacy in the rerun.
The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy.
Stephen Mcgrath, The Associated Press
