Thousands of people rallied in Romania's capital, Bucharest, and other cities in support of the European Union on Friday, one week before a presidential election run-off that could see a hard-right eurosceptic sweep into power, APA reports citing Reuters.
Hard-right nationalist George Simion won the first round of the presidential ballot on Sunday, and an opinion survey earlier this week showed him leading ahead of the May 18 run-off vote against centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan.
In Bucharest on Friday, an estimated 15,000 people rallied, waving EU and Romanian flags and chanting, "Russia, don't forget Romania is not yours" and "We want our country forward not backward."
"I was seriously thinking about taking out a loan for an apartment," said 26-year-old Petre, who declined to give his last name. "But I don't know that I could do that if George Simion were president.
"Our EU membership brought us prosperity and security."
In the western Romanian city of Timisoara, protesters held a banner reading "Better dead than fascist."
"Today, on Europe Day, we reflect on what Romania's 18 years of EU membership have meant for our country: greater opportunities, better infrastructure, and the chance to thrive in a united Europe," interim President Ilie Bolojan said on social media platform X.
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