May 19, 2025. Online Spotlight. Online news of the last 24 hours
Over the last 24 hours, the Romanian online media has been dominated by coverage of the conduct and results of the second round of the 2025 presidential elections, marking a significant victory for independent candidate Nicușor Dan.
Nicușor Dan's victory in the presidential election
Nicușor Dan won the presidential elections, obtaining 53.60% of the votes, while his opponent, George Simion, got 46.40%. He became Romania's first president with no official party affiliation, although he was supported by several political parties. In Bucharest, where he is mayor, Dan won in all sectors. (Digi24, HotNews.ro, Știrile Pro TV)International reactions and geopolitical impact
The victory of Nicușor Dan has generated positive reactions from international leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Dan, emphasizing the Romanian people's choice for the rule of law and European values. Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, and Volodimir Zelenski, President of Ukraine, also sent congratulatory messages. The international press noted the victory as a blow to European sovereignists (Euronews, Libertatea, G4Media)
Reaction of George Simion and AUR
Initially, George Simion claimed victory, but later conceded defeat and sent a message of thanks to his supporters. Marius Lulea, first vice-president of the AUR, thanked voters and emphasized the continuation of the political struggle.(Digi24, HotNews.ro, Antena 3 CNN)
Accusations of Russian interference
The Romanian Foreign Ministry has denounced a disinformation campaign attributed to Russia aimed at influencing the presidential election. This included the distribution of fake news on platforms such as Telegram. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zaharova dismissed the accusations, criticizing the electoral process in Romania (Digi24, Știrile Pro TV, Libertatea)
Internal reactions and outlook for the period ahead
Ilie Bolojan, Romania's interim president, congratulated the Romanian people on their election. Former president Traian Băsescu also commented on the elections, stressing the importance of the pro-European option. The press has already started to analyze the challenges the new president will face, including managing international relations and strengthening domestic democracy. (HotNews.ro, Știrile Pro TV, Digi24)
Top entities frequently mentioned in the news:
- Nicușor Dan
- George Simion
- Emmanuel Macron
- Maia Sandu
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania
*****Summary compiled using a monitoring feed provided by NewsVibe Romania, as well as Google News data. The analysis, data and images presented were enhanced with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools.
