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Simion Wins 40.96% in Romania Presidential First Round, Leu Falls to 5.12/EUR Ahead of May 18 Runoff

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Updated May 8, 2025, 04:44 PM

George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), won the first round of Romania's presidential election with 40.96% of the vote, ahead of Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan, who received 20.99%. Simion carried 36 out of 47 counties, including traditional Social Democrat strongholds, and secured 60% of the diaspora vote. Simion's campaign centers on nationalism, EU skepticism, and opposition to continued military support for Ukraine. He has pledged to cut 500,000 public sector jobs, abolish departments he deems wasteful, and reduce taxes over five years, while ruling out tax increases. He has said he would appoint Călin Georgescu as prime minister and bring the Partidul Oamenilor Tineri (POT) into government. Simion has also proposed a referendum on re-running the second round of the election ('Turul doi înapoi'), stating he would resign if it passes. Simion admitted that his promise of housing at 35,000 euros was a marketing strategy, intended for families and young people if his party enters government. He has also said he is not responsible for the current budget deficit, attributing it to previous governments, and has called for a younger leadership at the National Bank of Romania (BNR). The political uncertainty has coincided with a sharp depreciation of the Romanian leu, which fell over 3% in three days and reached a record low of 5.1222 lei per euro. The National Bank of Romania's reserves stand at 62.4 billion euro, and the ROBOR rate has risen to 7.25%. Interim finance officials and the BNR cite political instability as a key factor in the currency's decline, warning of a possible hard economic landing if uncertainty continues. Nicușor Dan, running as an independent with a pro-EU and anti-corruption platform, opposes mass public sector layoffs and calls for combating tax evasion, attracting EU funds, and limiting state spending. He supports Ukraine joining the EU and rejects anticipated elections. The final presidential debate between Simion and Dan is scheduled before the runoff on May 18.

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