German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday congratulated pro-EU Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan on his victory in Romania’s presidential election.
“Congratulations on your victory,” Merz wrote on the social media platform X.
“Romania has committed itself to a strong and secure Europe,” he added.
Dan, a centrist, defeated far-right challenger George Simion in Sunday’s run-off presidential election.
With votes counted from more than 99% of polling stations, the electoral authority in Bucharest said that Dan had secured approximately 53% of the vote, while Simion trailed with around 46%.
The presidential election was a re-run of last November’s vote, when pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu won the first round, having campaigned largely on the online platform TikTok.
However, shortly before the scheduled run-off vote, the Constitutional Court annulled the first round due to irregularities amid claims of Russian interference, and banned Georgescu from running again.
The election was seen as important to the European Union and Ukraine, which has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years.
The Romanian president holds strong influence over foreign and security policy.
