Polls have opened for the second round of Romania’s presidential election – with centrist candidate Nicusor Dan and populist George Simion running closely.
Voting began at 7am (5am UK time) and is scheduled to end at 9pm (7pm UK time), with exit polls expected to follow.
Romania’s previous presidential election was annulled six months ago when the country’s highest court disqualified leading candidate Calin Georgescu due to allegations of electoral interference by Russia.
Mr Simion, 38, told Sky News he supports US President Donald Trump. He opposes military aid to Ukraine and has been critical of the European Union.
Video about Romania’s potential next leader. Watch here
Far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) party founder Mr Simion came first in the initial round of the election, securing 40.96% of the votes and almost 20 points ahead of runner-up Mr Dan.
Mr Dan – currently the mayor of Bucharest – is running as an independent. He is committed to fighting corruption, supports the EU and NATO, and believes Romania’s support for Ukraine is essential for national security.
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Despite Mr Simion’s lead in the first round, polling suggests a close second round between the two candidates. A poll by AtlasIntel on Friday showed Mr Dan narrowly ahead, with an expected 48.7% of the votes compared to Mr Simion’s 47.8%.
