Defeated Romanian ultranationalist ‘will ask court to annul election’
Guardian3 days
Romanian Constitutional Court Rejects Simion Election Challenge
Above: Interim President Ilie Bolojan, Marian Enache, and Romanian President-Elect Nicusor Dan pose in front of magistrates member of the CCR after in Bucharest, on May 22, 2025. Image copyright: Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Romania’s Constitutional Court was right to reject Simion’s appeal. The election was a clear, democratic victory for Nicușor Dan, who won fairly with a strong pro-Western mandate. Attempts to contest the result, without evidence, risk undermining the will of 6 million voters and destabilizing a country already recovering from deep political crisis.
Establishment-critical narrative
The Court should have reviewed Simion’s appeal more carefully. Dan’s suspicious round two vote surge raises serious questions, and Telegram’s Pavel Durov has even claimed French intelligence tried to silence Romanian conservatives. Dismissing these very valid questions after limited discussion risks damaging trust in democracy and facilitating the silencing of dissent.