What are the big challenges that await Romania's new president?

Imagine having a president called Nicky. That's what Romanians voted for: a soft-spoken, slightly eccentric mathematician who everyone refers to by his first name, Nicusor - or Nicky, writes the BBC.

On Monday, hours after declaring victory in the election, the new president picked up his daughter from school as usual. He promised his children that nothing would change. But for Romania, things looked very different this morning, reports the Telegraph.

A vote for change

Nicusor Dan has been mayor of Bucharest since 2020, but until now he was little known outside the capital. That's why his election is widely seen as an act of protest against the political old guard that has governed Romania for more than three decades. But it was also the least extreme option for change.

Dan's opponent in the second round of voting was George Simion, a far-right nationalist and Eurosceptic who regularly insults in public.

He is also banned from two neighboring countries because he claims part of Ukraine and all of Moldova belong to Romania. Simion won the first round with 41% of the vote, but Dan made it to the second and then took control.

Read too Pro-Western candidate Nicușor Dan wins Romania's presidential election

"This time, fear managed to overcome rage," is how political analyst Radu Magdin explains the change and points to a significant increase in turnout.

"It's clear that many people are angry in Romania and want to see radical change. But at the same time, we saw a massive mobilization of the urban middle class who were afraid that the country could go backwards. There was a fear of what could happen if Simioni and his friends came to power," he added.

The 'Romania First' rhetoric failed

When he showed up to vote on Sunday, a colorful crowd was there at the polling station to greet him. Some were wearing embroidered national costumes and others had brought Romanian flags.

They tended to talk about God and the “traditional values” they believe Simion represents. Two men told the BBC that their priority was to prevent the EU from “imposing” same-sex marriage on Romania.

Other voters are attracted by Simion's "Romania First" rhetoric and promises of a better life.

"Nothing has been done for us, the working people, and I'm fed up," Liliana said this week from behind a market stall in Bucharest filled with apples.

She and her husband voted for Simion thinking he wouldn't be “so corrupt.” So when the results came in, she was disappointed.

Read too Nicusor Dan leads in decisive runoff of Romania's presidential election

"I don't think Dani is capable of running a country. But what can we do if people don't want change and progress," Liliana shrugged.

"I think the children went back to the villages and convinced their parents against Simion. They scared them into voting for Dan," she added.

Costly mistakes

George Simion himself said he was a patriot and a “man of the people.” But as the campaign progressed, he made mistakes.

Outside the market, feeding pigeons with her children, Diana said she had planned to vote for Simion until she saw a video from Paris shortly before the election.

Struggling to speak French, Simion had described President Macron as having "dictatorial tendencies" and said the country was run by "ayatollahs."

"It wasn't right to do that, to go there and speak so rudely to the French people. It made me change my vote," Diana thinks.

Analyst Radu Magdin notes other errors, including aggressive blog posts and the moment when Simion insulted his rival, Dan, by calling him "autistic, poor boy."

“In addition, he seemed to flee from public debate and instead went to shake hands with the pan-European radical right,” Magdin mentions, referring to meetings in Poland, France and Italy shortly before the vote.

"I would say there were a lot of people who didn't really appreciate this," he added.

The challenge to Russia

For many Romanians, Dan's election was also a blow against Moscow's interference.

In the street celebrations last night, in addition to shouting the new president's name and cheering, people also chanted their own challenge: "Russia, don't forget! Romania is not yours."

They were referring to evidence that Russia interfered in their November election to boost the chances of far-right conspiracy theorist Calin Georgescu. When he came out of nowhere to win the first round, the vote was annulled.

This weekend was a re-election, with Georgescu ousted and Simion in his place. The two were often seen side by side, even on election day.

But Georgescu's open sympathy for Russia – he once said he admired Vladimir Putin – was something that annoyed many voters.

European election

Nicusor Dan didn't win just because he wasn't Simion. His voters liked what he stood for, including a settled future within Europe.

When thousands of people surrounded his campaign headquarters last night to wait for him to declare victory, many of them carried EU flags. There was relief, as well as enthusiasm.

Before the election, young voters had said they planned radical actions if Simion won.

"Many friends say they will leave Romania because our values ​​don't match them at all," said Sergiana, a politics graduate, in central Bucharest.

"I feel that within a year or two he will completely destroy our chances of staying in the EU," she added.

In contrast, Dan placed relations with Europe at the heart of his campaign.

“It’s better for the European way, for young people and for Romania – because we get more EU funds, more development,” agreed another young voter, Petrosanu.

"Also, Nicusor is the smartest guy since the revolution. He knows how to do things," he added.

Last chance

In the end, Dan's victory was emphatic. But millions of Romanian voters chose a different path, different values. While hopes for the candidate of 'change' are high, the challenges are great and patience may be limited.

"In my opinion, this is the last chance for the mainstream political class to win the elections with the 'Save Europe, Save Democracy' platform," warns Radu Magdin.

George Simion is only 38 years old and is not going anywhere; his nationalist AUR party is strong in parliament.

"Next time, it's 'goodbye' if these people don't do their job. Next time it could be someone like Simion," the analyst says. /Telegraph/