BUCHAREST - Nicusor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest and an independent candidate, has won Romania's presidential runoff election, defeating his rival George Simion, according to near-complete official results published Sunday night by the country's Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP).

Dan secured 54.17 percent of the vote, while Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), received 45.83 percent, with nearly all ballots counted.

The vote marks the conclusion of a rerun presidential election, held after the annulment of the 2024 results due to allegations of campaign irregularities and foreign interference.

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Dan, 55, ran on a pro-EU platform, promising to strengthen rule-of-law reforms, maintain military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, and deepen Romania's ties with the West.

Simion, 38, had led the first round of the election held on May 4 with 40.96 percent, ahead of Dan's 20.99 percent. His campaign emphasized a "Romania First" message, proposing reduced taxes, fewer EU constraints, and a rollback of military aid to Ukraine.

According to real-time data from AEP, as of 9 pm on Sunday, 11.64 million voters, or 64.72 percent of those on the electoral roll, including more than 1.6 million from the diaspora, had voted in the second round of the presidential election. The turnout was significantly higher than in the first round, when 9.57 million people voted, or 53.21 percent.

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"Elections are not about politicians. Elections are about communities. And the winner of today's ballot is a community of Romanians that want a profound change in Romania. A community that wants state institutions to work properly, the cut of corruption, a prosperous economic environment for Romanians, a society of dialogue and not governed by hate," Dan said in a message delivered after the release of the exit polls.

Under Romania's constitution, the president plays a key role in foreign policy, defense, and the appointment of the prime minister. Dan is expected to begin consultations next week on forming a new government.

Polling stations opened at 7 am local time (0400 GMT) and closed at 9 pm (1800 GMT).