Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu resigns

In Romania, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has resigned, and his Social Democrat party is to leave the government after a right-wing nationalist candidate won the first round of the presidential election. Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) leader George Simion won 40.96 per cent of the vote in the election. The 38-has won 38-year-old leader outpaced all other candidates in the polls. In second place was reformist Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan with 20.99 per cent votes. Nicusor Dan narrowly beat Crin Antonescu, candidate of the governing coalition.

The runoff will be held on May 18 between the two staunchly



anti-establishment candidates -Simion and Dan, but ideological opposites, who have made their political careers railing against Romania’s old political class.

Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party in 2016, ran on a pro-EU ticket.

Six months ago, the Presidential election in Romania ended in scandal and confusion. It was won by a radical outsider with mystical leanings, Calin Georgescu, but that result was annulled over allegations of campaign fraud and Russian interference.