Huge problems are waiting for the new president of the divided Romania

Imagine the president called Nicky.

That’s what Romanians just voted for: to put it mildly, a slightly intricate mathematician, whom everyone refers to his name, Nikus-Albo Nicky.

On Monday, a few hours after he demanded a victory in the election, the new president took his daughter from school as usual. He promises his children, nothing will change.

But for Romania, everything looked quite different this morning.

Nikuzar Dan has been Mayor of Bucharest since 2020, but so far he has been little known behind the capital. That is why its election is widely regarded as a protest against the old political guard, which has ruled Romania for more than three decades.

But it was also the smallest extreme option for change.

The last vote, Dan in the second round was George Simion, a fierce nationalist and Eurosceptic, which regularly reveals public insults.

It is also banned in two neighboring countries because it claims that part of Ukraine and all Moldova belong to Romania.

Simion won the first round of 41%, but Dan caught up with the second and then took up the position.

“This time the fear was able to defeat the rage,” this is how political analyst Rada Magdin explains the shift and indicates a significant increase in turnout.

“Obviously, many people are angry in Romania and want to see radical changes. But at the same time we saw a large -scale mobilization of the city middle class, who feared that the country could be taken back.

“It was a fear of what could happen when Simion and friends came to power.”

In the last days I have met a lot of Simion fans.

When he voted on Sunday, there was a picturesque crowd there at the polling station to say hello. Some were in embroidered national clothing and others brought Romanian flags.

They usually talked about God and “traditional values”, which, in their opinion, are. Two men told me that their priority was to prevent “guidance” of same -sex marriage to Romania.

Other voters are attracted to Romania’s first symion rhetoric and promise a better life.

“Nothing is done for us, workers, and I got bored,” Liliana told me this week from the kitchen market, typed.

She and her husband voted for the Simion, thinking that he would not be “so corrupt.”

So when the results came, it was disappointed.

“I don’t think Dan is capable of governing the country. But what can we do if people don’t want to change and progress?” Liliana shrugged.

“I think the children returned to the villages and persuaded their parents against the symion. They scared their vote for Dan.”

George Simion himself told me he is a patriot and a “man of my people.” But, as the company has advanced, it made mistakes.

Outside the market, feeding pigeons with her children, Diana said she planned to vote for the Simion until she saw a video from Paris before the election.

Trying to talk about French, Simion called President Macron “dictatorial tendencies” and stated that Ayatollah was ruled in the country.

“It was not okay to do it, go there and talk so rudely with the French people,” Diana thinks. “It made me change my voice.”

Rada Magdin analyst notices other mistakes, including aggressive blog messages and the moment when Simion insulted his opponent Dan, calling him “autistic, poor guy.”

“In addition, he seemed to run into a public discussion and instead shook his hands in the national radical rights,” Magdin recalls, referring to meetings in Poland, France and Italy before the vote.

“I would say that there were many people who were not very valued.”

For many Romanians, the choice of Dan was also a strike on Moscow’s intervention.

At the festivities in the elections last night, as well as screaming the name of the new president and encouragement, people chanted them against them: “Russia, don’t forget! Romania is not yours!”

They meant evidence that Russia hindered its choice back in November to increase the chances of extreme conspiracy theorists, Kalina Strogez.

When he came out of nowhere to win in the first round, Voting was canceled.

This weekend was a repetition when George also banned the Simion in its place. Both were often seen nearby, even on the day of voting.

But the open compassion of Horgez to Russia-he once told me that he was fond of Vladimir Putin-shutdown for many voters.

Nicosar Dan not only won, because he was not an “symion.

His constituents liked what he was, including the future in Europe.

When thousands surrounded the company’s headquarters last night to wait for the victory, many brought EU flags. Was relieved as well as excitement.

Before the election, the young voters told me that they planned radical actions when the Simion won.

“So many friends say they leave Romania because our values ​​do not correspond at all,” Sergiy’s policy graduate in Central Bucharest told me. “I feel that in a year -it will completely ruin our chances to stay in the EU.”

On the contrary, Dan set up relations with Europe at the heart of his company.

“This is better for the European path, for young people and for Romania – because we get more EU funds, more development,” said another young voter, Petrasan.

“Also, Nycosar is the most intelligent guy from the revolution. He knows how to do everything.”

After all, Dan’s victory was persistent. But millions of Romanian voters have chosen different values. Although the hopes for the “change” of the candidate is high, the problems are huge and patience can be limited.

“In my opinion, this is the last chance for the basic political class to win the platform election” to preserve Europe, to preserve democracy, “Magdin warns.

George Simion is only 38 and goes anywhere; Its nationalist Aura Party is strong in parliament.

“The next time it is” goodbye “when these people don’t do their job,” the analyst says. “The next time it may be someone like a Simion.”