BUCHAREST — George Simion, the hard-right leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, is projected to win the first round of Romania’s presidential election, with more than 30 percent of the vote, according to three exit polls.
It was not immediately clear which candidate would place second, with establishment figurehead Crin Antonescu and centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan battling to face Simion in the runoff. Former Prime Minister Victor Ponta is set to finish in fourth place, the exit polls say.
The exit poll projections are not official results, which are expected to start coming in from Romania’s election authority in the next few hours. The exit polls also do not reflect votes cast by the Romanian diaspora abroad.