BUCHAREST (dpa-AFX) - Pro-EU mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan won the Romanian presidential run off after surviving a strong challenge from right-wing nationalist leader George Simion.
The presidential election was extended to second round after no candidates could win a clear majority in the first round of polling held on May 4.
Simion won 40.96 percent of the votes in the first round, almost double the number of votes won by Dan in the first round.
But in a dramatic turn-around Sunday, Dan made a strong come back with 53.6 percent of the votes, or more than six million of them, while Simion secured 46 per cent.
'We need to build Romania together irrespective of who you voted for,' Dan said in his victory speech.
Addressing his supporters in capital Bucharest after midnight, the soft-spoken mathematician-turned-reformer said, 'A community of Romanians who want a profound change in Romania won.'
He reminded them of a 'difficult period' that lies ahead, which, according to him, is 'necessary in order to balance the economy of this country, to build the foundations of a healthy society.'
The centrist candidate's win affirms the south-east European country's commitment to the European Union and NATO, reports say.
The 2024 presidential election was annulled by the Constitutional Court in December over allegations of Russian interference.
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