site.btaNicusor Dan Leads in Romanian Presidential Runoffs - Exit Polls

Nadezhda Filipova, BTA correspondent Martina Gancheva

Nicusor Dan triumphs after the initial exit polls showed him leading in the presidential runoffs, Bucharest, May 18, 2025 (BTA Photo/Ilko Valkov)

Bucharest,

18.05.2025 22:03

(BTA)

Independent candidate and current mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, leads in Romania's presidential runoffs, according to the initial exit poll results by Avangarde and CURS, reported by Digi24.

The candidate of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, is about 10 percentage points behind.

According to CURS, Nicușor Dan receives 54.10% of the votes and George Simion gets 45.90%. According to Avangarde, the mayor of Bucharest receives 54.9% and the AUR leader 45.1%.

“The elections have been won by those who want change. A difficult period lies ahead, I ask for your patience,” Nicușor Dan said in his first comment. “The victory demonstrates the strength of Romanian society. Our destiny is to fight for a united Romania,” added he.

“Unity, unity,” chanted his supporters. Even at this hour, hundreds of people who support him are filling the space in front of his headquarters.

Despite the initial exit poll figures, George Simion also declared himself the winner.

“I won. I am the new president of Romania. I will be president of all Romanians — meaning your president too. Calin Georgescu will lead the country,” he said in the first minutes after the initial exit poll, but quickly added that every vote from the diaspora must be counted.

The exit polls do not include the votes of Romanians abroad.

/NF/