The CCR validated the election of Nicuşor Dan as president; Simion accuses a "coup d'etat"

Although he officially lost the presidential elections of May 18, 2025 - a fact confirmed yesterday by the unanimous decision of the judges of the Constitutional Court of Romania who validated the election of Nicuşor Dan as president of the country, George Simion intends to continue the scandal regarding the presidential elections, stating that the CCR outlined the coup d'etat that he initiated on December 6, 2024, when it canceled the first round of the presidential election that took place on November 24.

Before validating the election of Nicuşor Dan, the nine magistrates of the CCR unanimously rejected the request to cancel the election submitted by the opposing candidate George Simion, after the latter had initially admitted that he had lost the elections. Simion claimed that the election result was tainted by alleged fraud, accusing a "coup d'etat" and interference from France and the Republic of Moldova, without providing conclusive evidence. The CCR rejected the request as unfounded, stating that the document submitted by Simion did not even comply with the formal conditions imposed by law. It had been initially sent in scanned format, and later, the Court asked the AUR leader for the original handwritten signature, in accordance with legal provisions. In the absence of clear evidence and based on official documents from the Central Electoral Bureau, the CCR concluded that there were no grounds for annulling the second round of voting. Moreover, the Permanent Electoral Authority, in turn, conveyed that the entire electoral process took place "in a climate of integrity, fairness and transparency". AEP emphasized that the IT systems used, including the blockchain solution, offered solid guarantees against any attempts at manipulation. "The false information released in the public space has only the objective of undermining citizens' trust in state institutions," the institution stated in a press release. At the same time, the AEP reiterated that no official contestations regarding the vote result were filed by other electoral actors and that international observers present at the polling stations confirmed the fairness of the process.

Unsatisfied with the decision taken by the nine judges of the Constitutional Court, George Simion accused the CCR of having "continued the coup d'etat" and urged his supporters to protest. In a message posted on Facebook, George Simion wrote: "The CCR continued the coup d'etat! All we have to do is fight! I call you to join me, today and in the coming weeks!". Later, in the first comment on the post, he added: "Very soon we will have elections again and we will have to be much more prepared!"

The message could easily be classified as incitement to act against the constitutional order, the same crime that Călin Georgescu is accused of. In his desperation that he can do nothing to overturn the results of Sunday's elections, George Simion calls for a fight against the CCR and state institutions, basically calling for a change in the constitutional order, a fact that should attract the attention of the Prosecutor General's Office.

• Nicuşor Dan prepares to take the oath of office

It is certain that the CCR unanimously rejected the request to annul the presidential elections and, also unanimously, validated the election of Nicuşor Dan as President of Romania. The solemn validation ceremony took place at the Palace of Parliament, in the presence of the President of the Constitutional Court, Marian Enache, and the former interim President, Ilie Bolojan.

In his first speech as validated President, Nicuşor Dan sent a clear message of responsibility, unity and reform.

Nicuşor Dan said: "A new chapter in the recent and contemporary history of Romania is coming. I want to assure Romanian citizens that I understand the responsibility of the mandate they gave me. There will be many challenges and I hope that we will successfully complete all of these challenges. Romanian society has shown wisdom and I am convinced that throughout the coming period it will put pressure on the necessary positive change in Romania. I will fight for the consolidation of state institutions. It is a necessity. I will also fight for the economic prosperity of the country and I will be a partner of the business environment and I will be a guarantor of civil liberties."

In turn, Ilie Bolojan, the interim president of Romania, said: "It is an honor for me to participate today in this public session of the Court and I have a personal satisfaction that we are closing under democratic conditions an electoral cycle that we should have closed last year. These elections, through the correct way in which they were organized, through the high turnout of Romanians, through the difference in votes, show the capacity of our country to organize free and fair elections and the fact that we are a democratic state that ensures the freedoms of citizens. It is a new beginning, a beginning of trust, a beginning of hope and a greater beginning of prosperity." Following the validation of his election as president of the country, Nicuşor Dan is to take the oath of office at noon on Monday to take over the highest dignity of the Romanian state, a moment that marks the official beginning of the presidential mandate. In parallel, the new president will continue negotiations for the formation of the new government, in the context of the resignation of former Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The proposal for prime minister will come, according to the Constitution, from President Nicuşor Dan himself.

• Threats to political rivals

Moreover, Simion claimed, without evidence, that the votes of Romanians in the Republic of Moldova were bought and that deceased people were among the voters. He even requested a hearing of the founder of the Telegram application, Pavel Durov, whom he accuses of having been pressured by the French government to censor the messages of the AUR party. Durov responded promptly on social networks, expressing his willingness to testify, "if this helps Romanian democracy." In response, the AEP rejected the accusations, recalling that "the current information climate is dominated by techniques and tactics aimed at spreading disinformation" and urged citizens to obtain information from official sources.

We recall that, after the May 18 election, George Simion initially claimed victory in the elections, although all exit polls showed Nicuşor Dan as the winner, without a doubt. Later, during the night, with the centralization of the minutes from the polling stations by the AEP, as it became clear that Nicuşor Dan was the new president of the country, George Simion posted a video message on social networks in which he acknowledged his defeat, congratulated his opponent and admitted that this was the will of the Romanian people.

Only two days after this message, after a quick visit to Vienna, George Simion changed his mind. Suddenly, he came to his senses and said that he would file a complaint, that he was not a woman, and that he would request the annulment of the elections, citing the interference of France and the Republic of Moldova in the conduct of the elections in Romania and in the two countries. George Simion explained on Tuesday evening why, a few hours after the end of the vote, when it was clear that Nicuşor Dan would win, he congratulated his opponent. "The reason why I, considering the numbers from the polling stations, congratulated Nicuşor Dan was that I love Romania, I love the Romanian people and I never want to see bloodshed in our country, which would justify chaos and the seizure of power by some," said the AUR president.

On Wednesday, after being criticized for using this phrase, Simion broadcast a live video on TikTok in which he said that his words had been distorted by "propaganda" and that he was referring to the bloodshed that "they" - meaning his and AUR's opponents - wanted to provoke. This time too, he did not present any evidence.

Moreover, Simion threatened those who did not vote for him and later those who, in his opinion, would have influenced the presidential elections: "You can hide in the mouth of a snake and we will still find you if you try to intimidate the political opposition, the free press and the economic environment. We have no other master but God."