Ukraine critic wins first round of Romanian presidential election rerun | 4 May 2025 | George Simion, a critic of the EU who has been banned from entering Ukraine, won the first round of the rerun of the Romanian presidential election on Sunday. With more than 95% of the ballots counted, Simion, the leader of the right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), received 40.52% of the votes, according to the news website G4 Media. Former senator Crin Antonescu and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, both known for pro-EU views, each received a little over 20% of the votes. "This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It is the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country," Simion said, according to Reuters.