Georgescu's “shock victory” in the foreign press. “I've never seen such an increase compared to polls”

Instead, the tone changes to a very optimistic one, when it comes to the press agencies in Russia, who write about the victory of Călin Georgescu, whom they even call an “ally of Russia”.

“The far-right candidate causes a shock and takes the lead in the elections in Romania” – it reads BBC.

The political commentator Radu Magdin specified that the support for Georgescu was unprecedented, previous opinion polls placing him at approximately 5% of the votes.

“Never in the 34 years of democracy have we seen such an increase compared to the polls,” declared Radu Magdin.

Independent Călin Georgescu has promised to end what he calls submission to the European Union and NATO, especially regarding support for Ukraine, the British press also writes.

Calin Georgescu: “America will not intervene and NATO will never if anything, but it will not happen, if Russia attacks a NATO member country. I'm telling you now. NATO does not represent anything, it is just a bloc association that still hopes to have influence there, as they were born, as the UN. The world has woken up.”

And the newspapers in France and Italy – countries with a significant Romanian diaspora – are equally surprised by the result of this election.

“Presidential elections in Romania: an unexpected pro-Russian candidate defeats the pro-European prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, at the end of the first round” – notes The World.

And Corriere della Sera talks about the surprise produced by Călin Georgescu's victory in this round. “A pro-Russian, practically unknown on the political level until the day his candidacy was announced, he is a specialist in the environment and sustainable development, he coordinated projects for the Romanian government, including the National Sustainable Development Strategy. For him, the European Union and NATO do not represent Romania's interests and he says that the war in Ukraine is conditioned by American military companies” – details the press from Rome.

On the other hand, in Moscow the tone is changing. Russian press agencies write about the victory of Călin Georgescu, whom they even call an “ally of Russia”.

Journalists Ria Novosti I recall that Georgescu glorifies the Romanian army, which was on the side of the fascists during most of the Second World War. But he points out that this candidate advocates an alliance with Russia.

“His electoral success is said to be due to a successful campaign on TikTok,” the state agency also wrote TASS.

From Chisinau, the first reaction came on Facebook, from former president Igor Dodon. “In Romania, the idea of ​​the National Interest – sovereignty, economic protection, Christian traditions and values” – wrote Dodon, both in Romanian and in Russian.

Essentials about the 2024 presidential election

After 99% of the precincts counted, the partial results of the presidential elections, the first round, place the independent candidate Călin Georgescu in first place, and Elena Lasconi, the president of USR, in second place.

Election calendar

Romanians elect their president and parliamentarians. According to the 2024 election calendar, published in the Official Gazette, between November 24 and December 8, polls are held every weekend.

The 2024 presidential elections, the first round, took place on November 24, on Sunday, at the same time as the referendum initiated by the general mayor of the Capital, Nicușor Dan. The referendum included three questions that the general mayor said were essential for the development and administration of Bucharest.

The next elections, the parliamentary ones, will also take place on a Sunday, on December 1, the very National Day of Romania.

The 2024 election concludes with a presidential runoff scheduled for December 8.

Partial results and exit polls

The race in the first round of the presidential elections in Romania was very close. The AVANGARDE and CIRA exit poll results from Sunday evening, from 21:00, showed that Marcel Ciolacu and Elena Lasconi will enter the second round.

Marcel Ciolacu declared immediately after learning the results of the exit poll that showed him the winner of the first round, with 25% of the votes, “that those who won are the Romanians”. With 18% of the votes of the Romanians in the country after the exit poll results, Elena Lasconi was retained in her first speech, although the polls showed that she is in second place in the voters' preferences.

Călin Georgescu, independent candidate, was by far the surprise of the first round of the presidential elections. The first exit polls indicated that he managed to collect about 16% of the votes, ranking after Elena Lasconi on Sunday evening.

After the exit polls, the candidate George Simion initially refused to admit his defeat, the AUR candidate declaring that “the manipulation of the polls is not confirmed”. At the same time, the president of the PNL, Nicolae Ciucă, ranked fifth, declared that “on the political stage in Romania there is room for everyone”, following that after the final results the liberals will make a decision. After the provisional results, however, Nicolae Ciucă declared that “it is a failure that the entire PNL leadership team must assume”.

Mircea Geoană ranked sixth after the exit polls, who was surprised by the results. Many Romanians also voted for the president of Forţa Dreptei, withdrawn from the electoral race. Concretely, over 13,000 voters voted for Ludovic Orban, who withdrew from the race for Palatul Cotroceni in favor of Elena Lasconi.

So it remains to be seen what will happen to the big losers from the presidential elections, the first round.

The vote of the diaspora

However, the results of the Sunday evening exit polls do not include the votes of the diaspora. So, on Monday morning, with over 99% of the wards counted, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu came out on top in the partial results published by AEP. Georgescu won 13 counties in the country and the diaspora, having a significant lead over his opponents.

On the other hand, at the national level, Elena Lasconi is in third place in the race. It leads in the electoral race in Iasi, Timiş, Cluj and Braşov. With the votes from the diaspora, however, the USR candidate for the presidential race has a chance to enter the second round. However, the race remains tight. Lasconi was massively voted for by Moldovans with Romanian citizenship and she also won the elections in the municipality of Câmpulung, where she is mayor for the second term. In his hometown, Haţeg, Lasconi ranked third.

Călin Georgescu obtained 43.36% of the votes cast abroad, coming in first place in the first round of the presidential elections, after counting the votes from 99.89% of the polling stations outside the borders. In second place, with 26.82%, is Elena Lasconi, who is followed by George Simion, with 12.07% (96,322 votes). Mircea Geoana (4.89%) and Nicolae Ciucă (4.63%) follow. PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu is only in sixth place, with 2.87% of the votes cast abroad, gathering 22,887 votes.

At this moment, the partial results show that Călin Georgescu and Elena Lasconi are in the 2nd round of the 2024 presidential elections. On Monday morning, around 10:00, the USR candidate, Elena Lasconi, came second in the electorate's preferences, according to provisional data of AEP, after the centralization of 99.93% of minutes.

The polling stations in the country officially closed at 21:00, the turnout at that time being, according to AEP, 52.43%. It was a different night for the presidents of the polling stations in the country. However, the counting continues on Monday, for the centralization of all votes, both from the country and from abroad.

The results of the 2024 presidential elections are transmitted in real time by the Central Electoral Office, as the minutes from the polling stations are entered into the system.

Romania elects its 5th president after the Revolution

From 1989 until now, Romania has had four presidents – Ion Iliescu, Emil Constantinescu, Traian Băsescu and Klaus Iohannis. According to the Constitution, the president of Romania can only hold office for two consecutive terms, which means that, regardless of the outcome of the elections, Romania will have a new president starting in 2025.

What powers does the head of state have

From his role in foreign policy to the influence he has on the government, the president of Romania plays a fundamental role in the country's political system. It is also important to note that the president benefits from a considerable salary, having the highest position in the Romanian state. However, its powers and role are very clearly defined by the country's fundamental law. The duties of the president are divided into two broad categories – domestic policy and foreign policy. Also, the Constitution of Romania establishes a clear set of rules and conditions that must be respected in order for someone to be able to reach the highest position in the state.

Electoral promises

In the rush for votes, many of the candidates for the 2024 presidential elections made fanciful promises, forgetting or ignoring the fact that the powers of the Romanian president are quite limited domestically. In the race for the presidential elections, each candidate developed an election program with promises to the citizens.

Where and how we vote

To actively participate in elections, citizens must be well informed and know exactly how and where they can vote. In the polling stations, voters will have to carry a valid identity document and comply with all the specific procedures established by the electoral authorities. Whether they are in the country or abroad, Romanians will be able to access the necessary information to ensure a fair and transparent voting process.

Before arriving at the polling station, it is essential to know the election calendar, but also to be aware of all the procedural steps to ensure that you exercise your right to vote in a correct way.