In Romania’s presidential election, hard-right leader George Simion emerged as the frontrunner with 33% of the vote, set to face pro-EU centrists Crin Antonescu and Nicușor Dan in a May 18 run-off. The election follows the annulment of a previous round due to Russian interference allegations, which drew criticism from the U.S. Simion’s rise reflects voter disenchantment with mainstream politics, as he aims to restore popular ally Călin Georgescu, while his opponents struggle to unite against him amid a political crisis and heightened cybersecurity threats.
