Romania’s democratic future is safe after a decisive victory for liberal mayor Nicusor Dan in the presidential election. A key factor in his win was the massive support from ethnic Hungarians and Moldovan citizens who hold Romanian passports.
Data suggests that over 500,000 to 700,000 of these voters supported Dan, which would have given him an insurmountable lead over his opponent George Simion. The Hungarian minority has been a significant demographic in Romania since the country’s dissolution after World War I, with around one million ethnic Hungarians making up about 5.5% of the population.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gave his backing to Simion, despite his anti-Hungarian stance and history of violent actions against the minority group. However, this support was rejected by Romania’s ethnic Hungarians, who instead voted for Dan in record numbers.
In Moldova, a country with significant dual citizenship with Romania, voters also supported Dan, accounting for 88% of all votes cast there. This is largely due to Simion’s stance on reunifying Moldova and Romania, an idea that is not popular among the Moldovan people.
The Hungarian minority played a crucial role in Romania’s politics, particularly through the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), which has been part of every ruling coalition since 1996. However, Orban’s influence over ethnic Hungarians abroad seems to have waned, as many rejected his recommendation and instead supported Dan.
Romania and Moldova share a complex history, with both countries being affected by Russian aggression. President-elect Nicusor Dan has shown interest in addressing these issues, particularly when it comes to helping Moldova loosen its economic ties with Russia.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/ethnic-hungarian-moldovan-voters-saved-romanias-democracy/a-72647072