Romanian far-right candidate Simion fails to get Hungary's endorsement for May 18 presidential ballot

After initially seeming to back Romanian isolationist presidential candidate George Simion for the presidential elections in Romania, along a common geopolitical orientation, Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban admitted that the Hungarian party in Romania (UDMR) – which already opted firmly against Simion – has the final word on this matter.

This is important for the tight presidential elections in Romania, where Simion expected to gain the support of the Hungarian minority against the pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan, whom he meets in the second round of the presidential elections on May 18.

Separately, several leaders of churches with Hungarian believers in Transylvania (Roman Catholic, Evangelical-Lutheran, Unitarian, Reformed) have called on the people to vote against extremist forces, broadly identified as candidate George Simion, on May 18, according to Hotnews.ro.

Initially, Orban issued on May 9 a comment indirectly supporting Simion – who has recently praised the policies conducted by the Hungarian president, saying that a number of these policies would be replicated in Romania. But quickly, he changed his initial position amid negative reactions from the opposition and from the ethnic minority in Romania. A phone call from UDMR's president, Kelemen Hunor, reportedly played an essential role in the position of the Hungarian leader, highly influential among the Hungarian minority in Transylvania because of his government's financial support.

"We will not support any form of political isolation against Romania or its leaders. Romanians can count on Hungarians in their fight for Christianity and sovereignty!" Viktor Orban wrote on May 9 in a message on X.

The statement prompted criticism from UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor and the Hungarian opposition. Péter Magyar, chairman of the main opposition party in Budapest, the Tisza Party, said that Orban "spit in the face and betrayed Hungarians abroad and therefore the Hungarian nation," G4media.ro reported.

After a phone call from UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor, Orban announced that he agreed that the Hungarian government should join the position of the UDMR and that, in matters of national policy, the interests of the Hungarians in Transylvania are primordial.