USR party presidential candidate Elena Lasconi brings coffee and cakes to scrutineers after voting for the presidential elections at a polling station in Bucharest on Sunday — AFP BUCHAREST, Nov 24 (AFP): Romanians vote on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election amid rampant inflation that could favour far-right leader George Simion.
The vote will kick off two weeks of elections in Romania, including a parliamentary vote and a December 8 presidential run-off.
Among the 13 presidential hopefuls, social democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is polling about 25 percent, followed by AUR party leader Simion on 15-19 percent.
"I'm really afraid we'll end up with Simion in the second round," 36-year-old IT worker Oana Diaconu told AFP in Bucharest, expressing concern about the far-right leader's unpredictable nature and attacks on the European Union.
Simion, 38, is staking a claim in the poor NATO member country as far-right parties across Europe notch up electoral successes.
Polling stations open at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) and close at 9:00 pm, with exit polls expected shortly after.
According to experts, the stakes are high in the race to replace President Klaus Iohannis, a liberal and staunch Ukraine ally, who has held the largely ceremonial post since 2014. Romania, which borders Ukraine, has gained in importance since Moscow invaded its neighbour in 2022.
The Black Sea nation now plays a "vital strategic role" for NATO-as it is home to more than 5,000 soldiers-and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said in a study.
"Romanian democracy is in danger for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989," political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP. Following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, "the situation has become more complicated", he added.
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