Romanians will go to the polls on Sunday, May 4, to elect their next president in the first round of "repeat" elections, the second such vote in six months.

The country held presidential elections on November 24, 2024, which were surprisingly won by far-right candidate Calin Iordache, who had been polling at single digits during the campaign. The result was annulled after revelations of Russian interference in the election in his favor and a massive pro-Dragnea campaign on TikTok, which plunged the country into political crisis. The Romanian Electoral Commission banned the pro-Russian candidate from running again. He is now under criminal investigation.

Where and when will polling stations open in Romania?

Polling stations will open at 7:00 a.m. local (and Bulgarian) time on Sunday, May 4, and will close at 9:00 p.m.

Voters can cast their ballots at any of the 18,979 polling stations across the country. An additional 965 stations will be opened in countries with large diasporas, including Malta, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Moldova, and the United States. Over 200,000 people from the Romanian diaspora have already exercised their right to vote on May 2 and 3.

How are presidential elections held in Romania?

The president is elected for a five-year term in a two-round system. The president can be elected for a maximum of two terms.

A candidate must receive more than 50% of all valid votes to be declared the winner in the first round.

If no candidate reaches the 50% threshold on May 4, a second round will be held on May 18 between the first and second place candidates.

What are the main issues according to Romanians?

Salaries and inflation

Rising food prices and other basic goods in the country are likely to be one of the most important factors in voters' choices.

Corruption

There is deep-rooted dissatisfaction with the way the ruling parties have governed the country since the fall of the communist regime in 1989.

According to Transparency International, Romania is among the four most corrupt countries in Europe. Voters generally have little trust in public institutions and politicians.

Ideological divisions

Romania, like several other European countries, faces growing questions from parts of the population about its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. More right-wing voters are opposed to additional support for Kyiv.

Overall, voters are divided between a desire for a government that is more distant from the West and closer to Russia, and one that is pro-European and pro-NATO. This division is reflected in the composition of the Romanian parliament.

After the parliamentary elections on December 1 last year, pro-European parties in Romania united to form a majority government in an attempt to exclude the far right.

The ruling National Coalition for Romania was formed when the pro-European Social Democratic Party (PSD), which won the most votes in the December elections, reached an agreement with the centrist National Liberal Party (PNL) (PNL), the reformist Alliance for the Salvation of Romania (USR) and the small ethnic Hungarian Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). The coalition holds 58 of the 134 seats in the Senate, the upper house, and 135 of the 331 seats in the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies.

The far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) is led by presidential candidate George Simion, who is the favorite to win the first round. The party has 28 seats in the Senate and 61 in the Chamber of Deputies.

SOS Romania, also a far-right party, has 12 seats in the Senate and 28 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The far-right Young People's Party (PMH) has 24 seats in the lower house and 7 seats in the upper house. Overall, these Eurosceptic parties hold 113 seats in the Chamber of Deputies – not much less than the 135 seats held by the ruling coalition.

Given this division, the European Union will be closely monitoring the presidential elections in our northern neighbour. | BGNES