The Kremlin on Monday described Romania's presidential election as "strange", saying the pro-Russian candidate who won an aborted vote last year had been unfairly disqualified.

Romania’s assets staged a relief rally after a centrist candidate defeated his nationalist opponent in the presidential election, with investor focus now shifting to how quickly a new government can fix the state’s finances.

As of midnight on May 18th Romania’s election authorities reported he had taken 54% of the vote to Mr Simion’s 46%. The turnout was a record for a Romanian presidential election. The country’s enormous diaspora,

But Romania's growth has steadily slowed since a post-pandemic bounce in 2021, and the European Commission forecasts its budget deficit at 8.6% this year and 8.4% in 2026, well above the government's 7% 2025 target outlined in a seven-year EU-approved plan.