Jon Henley Europe Correspondent

Marcel Ciolacu quits after coalition candidate fails to make it to run-off against nationalist George Simion

Romania’s pro-EU prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has resigned after his ruling coalition’s candidate crashed out of a presidential election rerun decisively won by a far-right Trump admirer, dramatically deepening the country’s political turmoil.

“Rather than let the future president replace me, I decided to resign myself,” Ciolacu, told reporters after a meeting at the headquarters of his Social Democratic party (PSD). “The ruling coalition has no legitimacy, at least in this formula.”

Trump admirer George Simion opposes Ukraine military aid and calls for ‘Melonisation’ of Europe

A far-right Trump admirer who opposes military aid to Ukraine has decisively won the first round of Romania’s presidential election rerun, near-final results show, raising the prospect of another disruptive nationalist joining the EU leaders’ club.

With 99.99% of votes counted on Monday, George Simion, 38, who sports Maga caps, pushes a sovereignist, socially conservative agenda and has called for the “Melonisation” – referring to Italy’s far-right prime minister – of Europe, scored 40.96%.

George Simion will face centrist Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan in runoff vote

An ultranationalist who opposes military aid to Ukraine, has vilified the EU’s leaders, and calls himself Donald Trump’s “natural ally” has won the first round of Romania’s rerun presidential vote and will face a centrist in the runoff, as vote counting nears its end.

With 99% of votes counted late on Sunday, George Simion, whose far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) began as an anti-vax movement during the pandemic, was comfortably in the lead on a projected 40.5% of the vote.

George Simion, 38, comfortably ahead in polls as first round of voting begins in presidential election

Romanians are voting in a presidential election rerun that could propel to power an ultranationalist who opposes military aid to Ukraine, has fiercely criticised the EU’s leadership and describes himself as a “natural ally” of Donald Trump.

George Simion, 38, is comfortably ahead in the opinion polls before the first-round vote in the EU and Nato member state, nearly six months after the original ballot was cancelled amid evidence of an alleged “massive” Russian influence campaign.