America News Agency

After a night of political tension, official counts showed that independent candidate Nicușor Dan overtook grand coalition candidate Crin Antonescu to come in second, a result that shocked the traditional political establishment in the EU and NATO member state.

The close race between Simion and Dan was so unexpected that no one dared predict it six months ago.

All pre-election polls predicted Simion would win the first round. However, the result achieved by Bucharest Mayor Dan sent a clear message to the ruling coalition that had united behind Antonescu as their main candidate.

After Sunday’s exit polls showed Simion in the lead, most party leaders and candidates stated they would await final results. Still, Simion had already declared “a victory for Romania’s honor” and urged vigilance in vote counting to prevent fraud.

Simion, whose popularity has grown in recent years, strongly criticizes the EU, especially for its continued support of Ukraine. He is also banned from entering Ukraine and Moldova.