New poll shows far-right candidate Simion wins first round but loses presidential elections in Romania

A survey conducted by MKOR shows that far-right candidate George Simion is leading in voting intentions for the presidential elections, with 31.2% of the votes cast. Still, he would lose the second round against two of his challengers: independent Nicuşor Dan and ruling coalition's candidate Crin Antonescu, according to the survey, presented by Bursa.

According to the poll, Nicuşor Dan ranks second in the first round, with 22.7%, followed by Crin Antonescu, with 18.8%. Victor Ponta gets 17.1%, while Elena Lasconi is far behind, with 5.3%.

In the second round, Simion would lose to Nicuşor Dan (35%-31%) and Crin Antonescu (33%-31%). With Victor Ponta and Elena Lasconi, the scores are extremely close, 30%-30% and, respectively, 31%-30%.

The survey also highlights a strong polarization of the electorate: Simion is supported mainly by people from rural areas (58%), with low incomes (50%) and lower education (59%), while Nicuşor Dan attracts urban voters, with medium and high incomes (72%) and higher education (43%), the source states.

The voting intention is high, with 87% of Simion's supporters and 94% of Nicuşor Dan's supporters saying they would go to the polls.

However, the survey also highlights a high level of indecision: over 45% of respondents either did not mention a candidate spontaneously or refused to answer.

The MKOR poll was conducted online, between March 26-28, 2025.

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