by Maria Branea
Recent years have seen the term anti-establishment proudly embraced by radicals with often controversial links to Russia. Despite this, the recent victory of a pro-Europe liberal in Romania’s presidential election shows that the forces of centrism can offer something beyond just more of the same.
At a time when rising extremism, polarization, and Russian interference threaten the future of European democracy, the historic turnaround in Romania’s presidential elections offers a powerful counter-narrative. The decisive rise and victory of a new breed of politician, exemplified by the pro-European candidate Nicușor Dan, delivers valuable lessons in combating populist extremism and points toward a potential path forward for Europe.
Over the course of two weeks, Nicușor Dan went from trailing behind George Simion, the leader of the extremist -right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), by 20 points, to winning by a solid margin of seven points in the runoff. The dramatic shift was partly thanks to unprecedented voter mobilization – an impressive 65 per cent of voters, the highest turnout since 1996.
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