Both candidates in the Romanian election obviously have long cast their votes. “This is a turning point, a crucial election,” the Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan said as he cast his ballot, adding that he voted “for a European direction ... not Romania’s isolation”. His far-right rival George Simion said he “voted against the inequalities and injustices done to the Romanian people” and “for our future to be decided by Romanian people”. Romanians are voting in a pivotal presidential run-off that could radically alter their country’s strategic alignment and economic prospects. The Romanian contest, the most consequential of the three, pits a brash, EU-critical, Trump-admiring populist Georgie Simion against a centrist independent Nicușor Dan in a knife-edge vote that analysts have called most important in the country’s post-communist history. Recent polls have shown the gap between the two candidates closing, with one putting them neck and neck and another placing Dan – who has described the vote as a battle between “a pro-western and an anti-western Romania” – ahead. The vote is a rerun of last November’s ballot, won by a far-right, Moscow-friendly firebrand, Călin Georgescu, who was barred from standing again after the vote was cancelled amid allegations of campaign finance violations and Russian meddling. Simion has promised to nominate Georgescu, who is under formal investigation on counts including misreporting campaign spending, illegal use of digital technology and promoting fascist groups, as prime minister if he becomes president. Romanian presidents have a semi-executive role with considerable powers over foreign policy, national security, defence spending and judicial appointments. They can also dissolve parliament if MPs reject two prime ministerial nominations. We start the night in Romania, so let’s go straight to Jon Henley to quickly bring us up to date on what’s at stake tonight. Dobry wieczór, boa noite, bună seara, or simply good evening and welcome to our live coverage of Super Sunday in Europe with crucial elections in Poland, Portugal, and Romania. It’s Jakub Krupa here, in Warsaw, to guide you through tonight’s exit polls, snap reactions and early results coming from the three EU countries. We will start with Romania where the polls will close in about half an hour – 7pm BST, 8pm CEST, 9pm local time – followed by Poland and Portugal an hour later. Romanians are voting in a pivotal presidential run-off that could radically alter their country’s strategic alignment and economic prospects. The election pits a brash, EU-critical, Trump-admiring populist George Simion against centrist independent Bucharest mayor Nicuşor Dan in a knife-edge vote that analysts have called most important in the country’s post-communist history. We will later move to Poland for the first round of the presidential election there which could be a pivotal moment for the country’s coalition government, and to Portugal which hosts its third election in three years. It may take a little while before we get any conclusive results though as margins are expected to be fairly thin. But, but, but – don’t worry! We will bring you all the key updates: starting with exit polls, through snap reactions and late polls, all the way to first analyses and official results. I’ll bring you updates from our correspondents across Europe, including Jon Henley and Sam Jones who followed the campaigns in Romania and Portugal, and Jennifer Rankin in Brussels. Ready? Let’s go.
Author: Jakub Krupa in Warsaw