Huge challenges await a new president of divided Romania

Imagine the President called Nicky.

That’s why the Romanians have just voted: to put it mildly, a slightly terribly mathematician who all refer to in their name, Nikur-or Nicky.

On Monday, hours after asking for a win in the election, the new president raised his daughter from school as usual. He promised his children that nothing would change.

But for Romania, things looked very different this morning.

Niksor Dan has been mayor of Bucharest since 2020, but so far he is little known beyond the capital. Therefore, his election is widely regarded as an act of protest against the old political guard, which has ruled Romania for more than three decades.

But it was also the least extreme option for change.

Dan’s opponent at the second round vote was George Simion, a firm right -wing nationalist and a Eurosceptic who regularly issues public insults.

It is also banned by two neighboring countries because it claims that part of Ukraine and the whole Moldova belong to Romania.

Simion won the first round with 41% of the vote, but Dan caught up with the second and then took over.

“This time, fear managed to beat Fury,” is the way political analyst Radu Magdin explains the change and points to a significant increase in turnout.

“Obviously, many people are angry in Romania and want to see a radical change. But at the same time we saw a massive mobilization of the urban middle class, which feared the country could be taken back.

“It was a fear of what could happen if Simion and friends came to power.”

I have met many supporters of Simion in recent days.

When he appeared to vote on Sunday, a colorful crowd was there at the election station to greet him. Some were in an embroidered national dress and others brought Romanian flags.

They tend to talk about God and the “traditional values” that Simion is thought to be. Two men told me that their priority was to prevent the “imposition” of Romania’s same -sex marriages.

Other voters are attracted by the rhetoric of Romania First by Simion and promises of a better life.

“Nothing has been done for us, working people, and they eat me,” Liliana told me this week from behind Bucharest market stall, accumulated with apples.

She and her husband voted for Simion, thinking she would not be “so corrupt.”

So when the results came in, she was disappointed.

“I don’t think Dan is capable of governing a country. But what can we do if people don’t want change and progress?” Liliana shrugged.

“I think the children returned to the villages and convinced their parents against Simion. They were scared to vote for Dan.”

George Simion himself told me that he was a patriot and “a man of my people.” But as the campaign progressed, he made mistakes.

Outside the market, feeding pigeons with her children, Diana said she planned to vote for Simion until she saw a video from Paris just before the election.

Trying to speak French, Simion described President Macron as “dictatorial trends” and said the country was ruled by “Ayatols”.

“It was not good to do it, go there and talk so rude to the French,” Diana thinks. “It made me change my vote.”

Analyst Radu Magdin notes other mistakes, including aggressive blog posts and the moment Simion offended his opponent Dan, calling him “autist, poor man.”

“Moreover, he seemed to be running away from the public debate and instead went to shake off the pan-European radical right,” Mr. Magdin mentions, citing meetings in Poland, France and Italy just before the vote.

“I would say that there are many people who don’t really appreciate it.”

For many Romanians, the choice of Dan was also a strike against Moscow’s eye.

At the street election celebrations last night, as well as the name of the new president and applauds, people chanted their challenge: “Russia, remember! Romania is not yours!”

They referred to evidence that Russia intervened in November in November to strengthen the chances of the far -right conspiracy theorist Kalin Georgescu.

When it comes from nowhere to win the first round, The vote was canceled.

This weekend was a re -running, with Georgu banning Simion in his place. The two were often seen side by side, even on the day of the vote.

But Georgecu’s open sympathy for Russia-once he told me that he admired Vladimir Putin-Been to exclude many voters.

Niksor Dan did not win just because he was not Simion.

His voters liked what he was advocated, including a future in Europe.

When thousands surrounded his campaign headquarters last night to wait for him to ask for a victory, many brought EU flags. There was relief as well as excitement.

Before the election, young voters told me that they had planned radical action if Simion won.

“So many friends say that they will leave Romania because our values ​​do not align with it at all,” the graduate of politics Sergiana in Central Bucharest told me. “I feel that in a year or two he would completely confuse our chances of staying in the EU.”

In contrast, Dan laid relations with Europe at the heart of his campaign.

“It is better for the European way, for the younger people and for Romania -because we receive more EU funds, more development,” approved another young voter, Petrosano.

“Also, Niksor is the smartest man of the revolution. He knows how to do things.”

In the end, Dan’s victory was adamant. But millions of Romanian voters have chosen a different way, different values. Although hopes for the “change” are high, the challenges are huge and patience can be limited.

“In my opinion, this is the last chance for the primary political class to win the election of the Save Europe platform except democracy,” warns Radu Magdin.

George Simion is only 38 and goes nowhere; His nationalist party Aur is strong in parliament.

“Next time, it’s” bye “if these people don’t do their job,” the analyst says. “Next time may be someone like Simion.”