Zelenskyy congratulates Dan on ‘historic’ election win
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated Nicusor Dan on his “historic victory” in Romania’s presidential election.
“For Ukraine — as a neighbor and friend — it is important to have Romania as a reliable partner,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “And we are confident we will. By working together, we can strengthen both our countries and our Europe.”
Dan, 55, is staunchly in favor of Romania’s membership in the European Union and NATO, saying Bucharest’s support for Kyiv is vital for its own security against a growing Russian threat.
Dan’s presidential runoff opponent was George Simion, a 38-year-old nationalist who opposed military aid to Ukraine.
“We will always have great respect for Romania and its people, especially given the support we received during the most difficult period in our history,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Dear Romanians, you can count on Ukraine as a good neighbor and partner. We can overcome any challenge if we are united and strong. I look forward to further developing the strategic partnership between our friendly nations for the sake of their stability, security, and prosperity.”
Simion concedes defeat, congratulates Dan
Hard-right candidate George Simion has conceded defeat to his pro-EU rival Nicusor Dan.
“I would like to congratulate my opponent, Nicusor Dan,” Simion said in a video published on Facebook.
“He won the election and that was the will of the Romanian people.”
He promised to “continue our fight” for Romania and to put its 19 million people “first”.
Simion had previously contested exit polls that showed that Dan had won the election, claiming that he had secured 400,000 more votes than his centrist rival.
Simion, who leads the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party, has criticized what he described as the EU’s “absurd policies” and proposed cutting military aid for Ukraine.
Dan hopes to build coalition with all pro-European parties
Romania’s election winner, Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, has said he hopes to form a coalition government that will include all four centrist, pro-European parties in parliament.
In remarks to Romanian TV channel Digi24, Dan said he expects coalition formation talks with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), National Liberal Party (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) to last a few weeks.
He told Digi24 that he will reach out to the four parliamentary groups for talks as early as Monday.
After a tense vote count on Sunday night, Dan, an independent who is a staunch supporter of the European Union and NATO, defeated the far-right George Simion, who had prevailed in the first round held on May 4.
Dan also addressed Simion’s supporters, inviting them “to build a good Romania.”
The independent candidate, who campaigned on a slogan of change and has vowed to “rebuild” the country, also sympathized with Simion’s supporters’ frustrations, saying they would remain dissatisfied “until the state works for its citizens.”
“A fundamental change is needed in the way political parties function,” Dan said.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/romania-election-pro-eu-centrist-nicusor-dan-wins-runoff/live-72578992
