BUCHAREST, Romania: Romania’s newly elected president, Nicușor Dan, was sworn into office on Monday in a joint session of Parliament, marking the end of a protracted political crisis that had gripped the European Union and NATO member state for nearly a year.
Dan, 55, a mathematician and former mayor of Bucharest, assumed office after winning the presidential election runoff on 18 May, defeating hard-right populist George Simion with 53.6% of the vote.
The election was a rerun after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the results of the previous vote last year due to allegations of electoral violations.
Speaking during his oath-taking ceremony, President Dan said the moment signalled a new beginning for Romania.
“It will not be about the past, it is about the immediate future of Romania,” he told lawmakers. “And it is not about political calculations, it is about the national interest. The Romanian state needs a fundamental change.”
Dan ran as an independent candidate on the “Honest Romania” platform, campaigning on a pro-West agenda that reaffirmed the country’s strategic ties with the United States, continued support for Ukraine, and the need for fiscal reform.
“The Romanian state is spending more than it can afford,” Dan warned during his inauguration speech.
“It is in the national interest to send a message of stability to financial markets and a signal of openness and predictability to the investment environment.”
The new president also addressed the broader political dysfunction and polarisation that followed the annulled 2024 election.
The first round of that vote had been led by far-right Călin Georgescu before it was invalidated by the Constitutional Court amid accusations of irregularities.
Dan, who called for the formation of a coalition government backed by a parliamentary majority, now faces the challenge of nominating a prime minister capable of commanding enough support in the legislature.
In his speech, Dan positioned himself as a leader ready to engage with the public and civil society. “I will be a president who listens to the voice of society and who is a partner to that society,” he said, calling on citizens to exert “positive pressure” on institutions to bring about reform.
Foreign policy is expected to be a key focus of Dan’s five-year term, particularly as the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues and Europe reassesses its defence and economic posture.
“Romania must strengthen its strategic partnership with the US and actively participate in EU decision-making processes,” Dan noted, aligning himself firmly with Western interests.
