Conservative candidate George Simion, according to polls the definite frontrunner in the upcoming rerun of the canceled Romanian presidential elections, shocked TV audiences Monday night as the first live presidential debate was about to start.
Simion arrived with flowers for Elena Lasconi, the runner-up of the canceled initial elections, emphasized the illegality of the cancellation, stated Călin Georgescu—who won the first round in the annulled November elections—should have been present, expressed a preference for engaging with the Romanian people over debating accusations—and then left.
“Mrs. Lasconi is the only one that was really elected by the Romanians and was supposed to attend the last election and confrontation with Mr. Călin Georgescu,” Simion said. “I thought a lot about it and … it’s not normal what happened, the way in which democracy was stepped on, and how this electoral campaign has taken place. … Out of respect for democracy and respect for the voice of the Romanian people, I cannot take part in this electoral debate.”
A Europe Elects poll Monday night has Simion winning the first round as well as the second one, regardless of whether the runner-up is Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan or joint establishment candidate Crin Antonescu. The original runner-up, Elena Lasconi, whose liberal USR party dumped her for Dan earlier this month, will probably have to settle for the flowers she got from conservative replacement candidate Simion—her poll numbers have dropped by 7 percentage points since December, leaving her in fifth place.
The first round in the rerun of the presidential elections is scheduled for Sunday, May 4th.
