Romanian nationalist George Simion on Sunday voted ‘against injustices and humiliations done to Romanians’.
The presidential frontrunner entered the polling station with Calin Georgescu, far-right, Moscow-friendly outsider who was barred from standing again after original vote was cancelled amid allegations of Russian interference and campaign finance violation. Simion has promised to nominate Georgescu prime minister if he wins.
Simion and Georgescu were accompanied by their wives and dozens of people who chanted “Calin Georgescu – president”.
After voting, Simion said: “I voted against the injustices done to the Romanian people. I voted against the inequities and humiliations to which our sisters and brothers have been subjected in Romania and abroad. I voted against abuse and against poverty. I voted against those who don’t respect us. I voted for our future to be decided only by Romanians, for Romanians and for Romania. May God help us.”
The vote is a rerun of last November’s ballot that Georgescu won, due to foreign interference on TikTok, according to Romanian intelligence. Simion faces centrist Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan in an election which is down to the wire. Polls show the gap closing between the two and in one poll, Dan inched ahead of Simion.
Simion who opposes mllitary aid to Ukraine easily won the May 4 first round with 41%, double the score of Dan who has – who has described the vote as a battle between “a pro-western and an anti-western Romania.”
After casting his ballot, Georgescu told the journalists in the polling station: “What happened today, is not just a vote, it is a witness. It is more than a vote,” Georgescu said.
He was interrupted by a police officer who warned them that they were breaking rules by making statements in the polling station.
“It’s not very nice what you did, but never mind,” Simion said, and the two left the polling station.
Georgescu said that Romania needs love, forgiveness and healing.
“I voted for our country here and everywhere, which more than ever needs love, forgiveness and healing. In the end, I would like us to remember the wise words of our ancestors who said the more we are, the better so that there will be many of us at the vote and we will be strong,” Georgescu said.
