The roads in Bucharest were filled with celebration as Nicosur Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician, emerged victorious in the presidential election. After a divisive campaign, Dan's comprehensive win came as a surprise, as his rival, the populist George Simion, was initially favored. Supporters gathered, singing and celebrating, relieved that Dan had won, with some expressing fear of returning to a communist-like past under Simion's leadership.

Many voters, especially young people, expressed hope that Dan would reinvigorate Romania and prevent them from wanting to leave the country. The presence of EU flags signified support for closer ties with the European Union, with some voters fearing that Simion would take Romania out of the EU, a claim he denied. Simion, surrounded by international populist politicians, initially expressed confidence in winning but later conceded defeat, declaring he would continue to fight for his vision of "patriots, sovereignists and conservatives."

Romania has faced a turbulent period, including the cancellation of a previous election due to suspected Russian interference and the banning of Calin Georgescu. The political division between Dan and Simion has put Romanian democracy under scrutiny. Now, the challenge is to unite the country, an EU and NATO member, and Dan faces the immediate task of healing the nation. His supporters celebrated in the streets, toasting their new president. While victory is an achievement, Dan needs further successes to ensure Romania's prosperity.

Official results showed Dan with approximately 54% of the vote, while Simion received 46%. This election had the highest voter turnout in 25 years. Dan, a centrist mayor from Bucharest, defeated Simion, a hard-right nationalist who wanted to model Romania's path after Donald Trump's politics. Simion, a euroskeptic, also sought to end military aid to Ukraine. Dan's win was a last-minute surge after trailing in the polls.