Presidential elections 2025 | International press: Nicușor Dan's victory, a pro-European and anti-populist signal

The international press has welcomed the election of Nicușor Dan as president of Romania, seeing it as a clear rejection of populism and sovereignist trends. The Economist and The New York Times noted the surprise defeat of far-right candidate George Simion, backed by the MAGA ideology. Corriere della Sera described the result as "a slap in the face for the sovereignists", highlighting Romania's return to a pro-European trajectory. Dan's victory is interpreted as a signal of stability for the EU and strong support for Ukraine. European leaders and President Zelenski congratulated him, stressing the importance of this result in the geopolitical context.