Romanian nationalist Simion set to win first round vote

Eurosceptic George Simion appeared on course for victory in the first round of Romania's presidential election re-run, partial results showed, after a ballot seen as a test of the rise of Donald Trump-style nationalism in the European Union.

Mr Simion was in first place in Romania's presidential election with 40.0% of the vote after 95% of votes excluding the diaspora had been counted, electoral commission data showed.

Centrists Crin Antonescu and Nicusor Dan were running neck and neck for second place with 20.9% and 20.2% respectively.

The top two candidates will meet in a runoff on 18 May.

A victory by Mr Simion could isolate the country, erode private investment and destabilise NATO's eastern flank, where Ukraine is fighting a three-year-old Russian invasion, political observers say.

"This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It is the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country," Mr Simion said.

Benefiting from a wave of popular anger against mainstream leaders, Mr Simion, 38, opposes military aid to neighbouring Ukraine, is critical of the EU leadership and says he is aligned with the US president's Make America Great Again movement.

Mr Antonescu, 65, absent from politics for a decade, wants to continue Romania's substantial role in supporting Ukraine, and is well known by the electorate.

The vote came five months after a first attempt to hold the election was cancelled because of alleged Russian interference in favour of far-right frontrunner Calin Georgescu, since banned from standing again.

Voting ended at 7pm Irish time, with exit polls immediately following and preliminary results expected later in the evening.

Mr Simion voted alongside Mr Georgescu, who called the election a "fraud" and urged people to take their country back.

As dozens of people thronged outside the voting station chanting "Calin for president", Mr Simion said his vote was "to restore democracy."

Mr Simion was polling at around 30%, a comfortable lead but well short of the 50% he needed to avoid a run-off on 18 May.

"George Simion equals Calin Georgescu, he gets my vote," said Aurelia, 66, a pensioner who declined to give her last name. She said she felt "humiliated" by the cancellation of November's first round.

"Everything is lacking here. My children are not here: Did they leave to work abroad because things were so good here?"

Simion's main rivals are two centrists - former senator Crin Antonescu, 65, backed by the three parties in the current pro-Western government, and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, 55, running as an independent on an anti-corruption platform.

Both are pro-EU and pro-NATO and back Ukraine. Victor Ponta, a former leftist prime minister who has turned conservative nationalist, is ranked fourth but could prove a dark horse.

Read more: Was it democratically fair to rerun Romania's presidential election?

Mr Simion is not the only MAGA-style politician seeking election in central Europe. Karol Nawrocki, the presidential candidate backed by Poland's main nationalist opposition party in a presidential election on 18 May, met Mr Trump this week.

If elected, they would expand a cohort of eurosceptic leaders that already includes the Hungarian and Slovak prime ministers.

"Romania and Poland are two important countries for the United States," Mr Simion told Reuters on Friday.

"We represent partners and we represent allies, both military and politically, to the current (US) administration. This is why it is important for MAGA presidents to be in charge in Bucharest and Warsaw."

Romania's president has a semi-executive role that includes commanding the armed forces and chairing the security council that decides on military aid.

To date, Romania has donated a Patriot air defence battery to Kyiv, is training Ukrainian fighter pilots and has enabled the export of some 30 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta since Russia's invasion.

The country's president can also veto important EU votes and appoints the prime minister, chief judges, prosecutors and secret service heads.

The Trump administration has accused Romania of suppressing political opposition and lacking democratic values after November's election was canceled on what Vice President JD Vance called "flimsy evidence".

A team of US observers were in Bucharest for the vote alongside diplomats and monitors from dozens of countries.

"There is clear evidence that there was some sort of nefarious activity going on in the November election," James E.Trainor III, Commissioner of the US Federal Election Commission, told Reuters in Bucharest.

"Time is going to prove that ... it was a good decision (to cancel). I know it's an extreme step, but ... what we see is that Romanian democracy is actually stronger because (it) had this bump in the road, but yet was resilient enough of a democracy to make its way through it."