Romania’s Constitutional Court on Thursday upheld the results of the presidential election rerun, rejecting a challenge from George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, who alleged the vote was manipulated by foreign actors—including France and Moldova—and that deceased individuals had cast ballots.
The court unanimously dismissed his annulment request and held a brief ceremony to certify Dan’s victory, declaring its ruling final. Simion, who had initially conceded, called the court’s rejection part of a “coup” and urged supporters to mobilize in protest.
In his annulment request, Simion claimed to have irrefutable evidence that France, Moldova, and other actors interfered in the election and alleged that deceased individuals had voted. He argued the election should be invalidated on the same basis as last year’s annulled result. After the court rejected his appeal, Simion posted on Facebook that the Court “has continued the coup,” adding, “We have no choice but to fight! I call on you to stand with me, today and in the coming weeks!”
Nicușor Dan, the Bucharest mayor, has been declared the winner of the tense runoff against Simion with 53.6% of the vote—a margin of over 829,000 votes—and has yet to respond to the latest claims.
Dan, who is expected to be sworn in next week, now faces the challenge of forming a government in a politically fractured landscape fueled by anti-establishment sentiment. Last year’s election was annulled after claims of Russian interference, clearing the way for the rerun in which Simion emerged as a leading contender after aligning with disqualified candidate Călin Georgescu.
