The first-round victory of far-right candidate George Simion in Romania's presidential elections has been celebrated by European far-right leaders as a win against EU institutions. The election, a repeat after the initial vote was annulled due to alleged Russian interference, has given momentum to their anti-EU narrative.
Marine Le Pen of France described the result as a "nice boomerang" for Ursula von der Leyen. Matteo Salvini of Italy criticized what he called the "dirty tricks" of Brussels. Santiago Abascal of Spain congratulated Simion, claiming it represented a step towards regaining freedom and sovereignty.
The European Commission declined to comment, stating that the elections are a national matter. They have emphasized that elections are central to European democracy and are working on a "democratic shield" to protect against attacks on elections.
The election was held amidst controversy following the annulment of the initial vote. There were allegations of Russian interference and irregularities, leading to investigations including one by the EU into TikTok. The intelligence service in Germany has recently labeled the far-right party AfD as extremist, which could result in its ban.