After months of political instability and an annulled election, Romania has elected a new president, Nicusor Dan, who champions pro-EU and pro-Ukraine policies. His victory, with 54% of the vote against an ultranationalist candidate, marks a crucial decision for Romania to maintain its pro-Western stance. Oana Lungescu emphasized the relief this outcome brings to the EU and NATO given Romania's strategic importance. Dan faces the challenge of uniting a polarized nation, especially in the wake of prior election meddling and political division that have marked the region's recent history.
"Romania had a clear choice in this election, between continuing its pro-Western course or shifting towards ultranationalism and in favor of Russia. In electing NicuÈor Dan, they have chosen pro-Western continuity," Oana Lungescu, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute defense and security think-tank in the UK, told RFE/RL.
"There will be a sigh of relief in both the EU and NATO, of which Romania has been a solid member for decades. Romania has a strategic position," Lungescu, who is a former NATO spokeswoman, added.
"We are in a moment of balance, the most difficult since 1989," he said, referring to the year that saw the bloody overthrow of Romania's Communist regime.
Dan didn't even run in the first attempt held in November last year, having only recently begun a second term at the City Hall in Bucharest.
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