Huge challenges await new president of divided Romania

Imagine having a president called Nicky.

That's what Romanians just voted for: a softly-spoken, slightly geeky mathematician who everyone refers to by his first name, Nicusor – or Nicky.

On Monday, hours after claiming victory in the elections, the new president picked up his daughter from school as usual. He's promised his children nothing will change.

But for Romania things looked very different this morning.

Nicusor Dan has been mayor of Bucharest since 2020 but until now he was little known beyond the capital. That's why his election is widely seen as an act of protest against the old political guard who have governed Romania for over three decades.

But it was also the least extreme option for change.

Dan's opponent in the second-round vote was George Simion, a hard-right nationalist and Eurosceptic who regularly dishes out public insults.

He's also banned from two neighbouring 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 caught up in the second, and then took over.

"This time, fear managed to defeat fury," is how political analyst Radu Magdin explains the shift, and points to a significant increase in turnout.

"Clearly a lot of people are angry in Romania and want to see radical change. But at the same time, we saw massive mobilization of the urban middle class who feared that the country could be taken backwards.

"It was a fear of what may happen if Simion and friends came to power."

I've met plenty of Simion ers in recent days.

When he turned up to vote on Sunday, a colourful crowd were there at the polling station to greet him. Some were in embroidered national dress and others had brought Romanian flags.

They tended to talk about God and the "traditional values" they think Simion represents. Two men told me their priority was to prevent the EU "imposing" same-sex marriage on Romania.

Other voters are drawn to 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 told me this week from behind a Bucharest market stall piled 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.

"I don't think Dan is capable of running a country. But what can we do if people don't want change and progress":[]}