Romania. Repeated presidential election. Candidates

On Sunday, repeated presidential elections in Romania will take place. George Simion, the leader of the radical right -wing party, is almost reliable to the second round. The game is about who he will fight in it. The polls point to several candidates.

Before Sunday, repeated presidential elections in Romania polls They give a certain entrance to the second round of George Simion. The second place will be competed by: the mayor of Bukarrest Nicusor Dan, supported by the ruling Crin Antonescu coalition, and former left -wing Prime Minister Victor Ponta, convincing that he is a “Trumpist”.

Considered the favorite of the Simion election race – the leader of the radical right -wing AUR (Union for the Unity of Romanians), currently the second strength in the Romanian parliament, there may be almost certain entrances to the second round. He took over the political heirloom after Calina Georgescu, the winner of the first round of the November elections, unacceptable to the election. It is because of the allegations of electoral machinations in the Georgescu campaign and the likely interference Russia The November election was annulled, which deepened political chaos in Romania.

While the first place in Sunday's vote can be considered reserved, there is still no clear candidate for the second position. Depending on the survey, it can be Dan or Antonescu, and according to some studies – also ponta.

Mayor of Bucharest

Starting as an independent candidate of Nicusor Dan, derived from the center -right USR party (Romanian saving relationship), promises voters “honest Romania” and postulates healing of public administration, devastated, destroyed, according to him, for years of arrangements. He made his main postulate a fight against corruption.

Before the May elections, Dan obtained the support of his native party (which he founded and then left) – the Union of Salvation of Romania. The management of the grouping unexpectedly supported his candidacy a month before the election, withdrawing support for his leader Elena Lasconi.

The USR argued that he had supported Dan for fear of dividing the electorate between two pro -European candidates. This would be conducive to the script, according to which two radicals – Simions and Ponta would face in the second round. Such a variant of the USR management described as dangerous for the future of the country and “toxic”.

Mainstream liberal

A candidate of “continuation”, and thus guaranteeing further directing to deep references of Romania in the EU and NATO and further support Ukrainethere is Crin Antonescu, a mainstream liberal supported by the Coalition of Social Democrats and the Hungarian minority grouping. The support of these parties gives him solid opportunities, but at the same time polarizes the anti -system electorate, negatively perceiving “old elites”, governing the country for over 30 years.

Antonescu has not held any political offices for 10 years. He supports the increase in expenditure on defense and support of Ukraine and emphasizes the anchoring of Romania in NATO. Over the past decade, he lived in Brussels with his wife Adina Valean, who in the previous term of the European Commission was responsible for transport.

“Trumpist” praising “radical change” in the USA

According to surveys, Victor Pontta, a former prime minister on behalf of the Social Democratic Party, also has a chance, although much smaller than Dan and Antonescu. In 2015, he was forced to resign from office in connection with mass protests after a fire of the night club, in which 64 people were killed. The premiere was accused of inactivity against ubiquitous corruption in the country.

Now Ponta starts as an independent candidate and is trying to attract the voices of anti -system voters. In the campaign before May voting, he focused on nationalist narrative, but not denying Romania's place in the EU and NATO. He is in favor of further military support of Ukraine, but demands the suspension of the transit of Ukrainian grain through Romania to protect farmers in the country.

Ponta, always perceived as a system of the system, now creates himself as a “Trumpist”, praising the “radical change” that takes place in USA After Trump's return to the White House. He assures that he will make an appointment with the American president to the Golf party to convince him to send more soldiers to Romania. Before the election, he managed to meet the son of the president, Donald Trump Jr., who was traveling several days around Central and Eastern European countries.

She was the second, now the party turned away from it

USR center -right leader Elena Lascononi is the most tragic figure of both election campaigns. In the November first round she took second place, but the annulment of the election by the Constitutional Court took her hopes for presidency. In the repeated elections, her own party turned away from her and supported Nicusor Dan, arguing this step with concern for the future of the country. In recent polls, Lasconi not exceed 8 percent.

Despite the blade of the poll in the previous campaign, it seems that no one but the first four have a chance to enter the second round: Simion, Antonescu, Dan and Pont. However, the votes collected by weaker candidates may be of some meaning at the second round of May 18.

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