Voters in Romania, Portugal, and Poland have spoken — and the far-right in Europe is feeling the heat. After a strong surge last year, recent elections in these three countries show a shift in the political winds. Centrist and pro-European candidates are making a comeback, leaving nationalist contenders trailing behind.
In Romania, the battle for Bucharest’s mayor’s office grabbed national attention. It was a tight race between liberal Mayor Nicusor Dan and far-right challenger George Simion, who is known for his admiration of Donald Trump.
Simion had a strong lead in the first round of voting in early May, and many polls predicted he would take the win. But Dan pulled off a major comeback. He gained nearly 900,000 more votes in the final round and secured 54.2% of the total, compared to Simion’s 45.8%.
The crowd outside Dan’s headquarters erupted in cheers, chanting his name as the final numbers came in.
Over in Portugal, it was the third general election in just three years — and once again, the far-right hoped for a breakthrough. The Chega party had its eyes set on challenging the centre-right Democratic Alliance.
But when votes were counted, Chega fell short. The Democratic Alliance, led by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, came out ahead with around 29% to 35% of the vote. Montenegro called for unity, saying all parties need to work together for the good of the country. Without a full majority, his party may need to run a minority government, just like it did in its last term.
Poland saw a similar pattern. The far-right’s candidate, historian Karol Nawrocki, was expected to do well thanks to his strong nationalist message and a recent meeting with Trump in Washington.
But it was pro-European centrist Rafał Trzaskowski who took the lead with 30.8% of the vote. Nawrocki wasn’t far behind at 29.1%, and he even outperformed poll predictions. Despite a controversy over a real estate deal, which he denies, he managed to win over a decent chunk of voters.
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