Romania votes in critical presidential rerun with far-right candidate poised to win

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00:00On the Black Sea, the Romanian Navy is testing its defense capabilities.

00:06Rear Admiral Kojokaru is overseeing an anti-aircraft response drill.

00:11We're preparing across all domains, anti-submarine warfare, surface, ship, defense and countering hostile air forces.

00:19We face real challenges in the Black Sea, especially given the current geostrategic climate.

00:24For three years now, there's been a war right next door.

00:27Recently, the country's Western alignment was nearly thrown into question.

00:32In late 2024, isolationist and anti-NATO candidate Colin Georgescu came out on top in the first round of the presidential election.

00:42The vote was annulled due to irregularities in his campaign, and ballots will be cast again on May 4th.

00:49For now, Romania, which borders Ukraine, continues to fulfill its military commitments.

00:55This annual maritime drill brings together several NATO countries.

01:00We welcome the participation of the task force to counter sea mines, especially given the ongoing mine threat in the Black Sea.

01:08Since the war began, around 120 mines have been found, six of them destroyed by Romanian naval forces.

01:15Near the port of Constanza, Romania is building what will become NATO's largest air base in Europe.

01:21The election is being closely watched by the country's partners.

01:25In March, the Constitutional Court rejected Colin Georgescu's candidacy.

01:30He was replaced by ultra-nationalist George Simeon, who is leading the polls for the first round.

01:37Romania's foreign policy relies on three pillars, the EU, NATO and the United States.

01:45Electing an isolationist or a Euro-skeptic could undermine that strategic triad.

01:50But I believe the risk is low.

01:52For the second round, I expect a surge of support from voters who truly believe in Europe and the West.

01:58George Simeon says he wants to remain in NATO and the EU.

02:02But analysts say his true intentions remain unclear.

02:05If elected, this Trumpist candidate could follow Washington's lead in an increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape.

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