Romania’s nationalist presidential candidate George Simion lost to centrist candidate Nicusor Dan on Sunday in the second round of the

The Kremlin on Monday described Romania's presidential election as "strange", saying the pro-Russian candidate who won an aborted vote last year had been unfairly disqualified.

Romania’s assets staged a relief rally after a centrist candidate defeated his nationalist opponent in the presidential election, with investor focus now shifting to how quickly a new government can fix the state’s finances.

In shocking fashion, the nation's centrist candidate, Nicusor Dan defeated a right-wing nationalist, George Simion, garnering 56 percent of the votes.

But Romania's growth has steadily slowed since a post-pandemic bounce in 2021, and the European Commission forecasts its budget deficit at 8.6% this year and 8.4% in 2026, well above the government's 7% 2025 target outlined in a seven-year EU-approved plan.

As of midnight on May 18th Romania’s election authorities reported he had taken 54% of the vote to Mr Simion’s 46%. The turnout was a record for a Romanian presidential election. The country’s enormous diaspora,