BUCHAREST -- Interim President Ilie Bolojan, Romania's most popular politician, says the country faces a "difficult but decisive" period as voters head into a presidential runoff election this weekend that pits ultranationalist politician George Simion against pro-Western reformist Nicusor Dan.
Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Romanian Service in a live interview on May 12, Bolojan urged voters to "vote as their conscience dictates" in a presidential election that is being rerun after the first attempt was canceled over claims of Russian interference.
While Simion easily won the first round of voting on May 4 with almost 41 percent of the vote, he fell short of a majority, setting up the runoff with Dan, who took just under 21 percent.
"My message to all Romanians is to go vote and vote as their conscience dictates. However, considering Romania is currently at an important crossroads...each person, through the vote they cast, will make history for Romania," he said, adding he would vote for Dan.
Romania's Controversial Presidential Election
Romania has been roiled by political turmoil since November, when Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian nationalist seen as a fringe candidate, pulled off a surprise win in the first round of voting.
However, authorities annulled the results amid accusations of a Russian influence campaign to boost his candidacy. Georgescu was banned from running in the new elections, and a raft of new rules were introduced for the May 4 rerun.
SEE ALSO: A Canceled Vote, Then A Banned Candidate. Now Romania Holds Election Rerun.The canceled vote drew criticism outside of Romania, most prominently from US Vice President JD Vance, who weighed in during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, accusing officials of acting on "flimsy suspicious and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors."
Bolojan, who regularly scores the highest popularity in public opinion polls, became interim president after Klaus Iohannis stepped down amid an effort by the opposition to have him impeached after he stayed in power following the Constitutional Court's annulment of the presidential election.
Bolojan said during the RFE/RL interview that the instability needs to end if the country is to avoid an economic and social crisis in the next 18 months.
"I'm worried because it's going to be a difficult period, and there are some combinations of factors that could create problems for us: the large deficit, the risk of financing it, the risk of relegation," he said.
"Political instability is the second risk, because, you see, now we have interims everywhere and it's not good to have interim leaders everywhere.... The faster these problems are resolved, the better the president is. So we need political stability. It's not easy with seven parties," he added.
To that end, Bolojan said he would be willing to have a "serious discussion" over forming a "stable government" -- meaning an administration that has majority support in parliament -- once the presidential election is over.
SEE ALSO: How TikTok Fueled The Rise Of Romania's Far-Right Presidential Candidate Georgescu"We must prevent a budget crisis, exacerbated by a political crisis, from turning into an economic crisis that means inflation and interest rate hikes. Ordinary people will feel it first," he said.
"It's not about a prime minister; we need strong teams of people who have the same vision. The Romanian state has lost control in many areas.... Without a parliamentary majority and without collaboration, [the new government] will not be able to give its best for Romania."
The Scandals Of George Simion
Simion, an outspoken supporter of US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who leads the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), has promoted reunifying Romania and neighboring Moldova, along with halting military aid to Ukraine.
Known for his fiery speeches and the fact he was once an active soccer hooligan, he was banned in 2024 from entering Ukraine for three years for what Kyiv called "systematic anti-Ukrainian activities" while Moldova has called him a national security threat and barred him from entering the country as well.
On April 24, electoral authorities announced an investigation into Simion's political party over allegations it had violated campaign-financing rules.
The investigation has centered on allegations that Simion organized a $1.5 million payment to a US lobbying firm to set up meetings in Washington with prominent media figures allied with Trump. Simion has denied the allegations.
Romania held parliamentary elections in December that the ruling center-left Social Democratic Party won. It created a pro-European coalition government led by leftist Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.