Romania’s newly elected president, Nicușor Dan, was sworn into office on May 26, pledging a sweeping overhaul of state institutions and immediate steps to stabilise the country’s fiscal policy. 

The inauguration followed a tense political standoff and the rerun of annulled presidential elections from December, which Dan won against far-right candidate George Simion.

In his inaugural address, Dan outlined a dual-priority agenda: forming a new pro-EU ruling majority and revising the country’s fiscal policy. He expressed support for Ilie Bolojan, a former mayor known for public sector reforms as well as Romania’s former acting president, as a potential head of the new government. Dan called for cooperation among the four main pro-EU parties to restore political stability.

“It is going to be about the future, not about the past,” Dan said, signalling his intention to lead negotiations in a forward-looking manner.

Dan, a former independent candidate, campaigned on a platform promising radical transformation of Romania’s administrative and political systems. His electoral victory marks a sharp break from traditional party politics and comes amid widespread public dissatisfaction with entrenched elites and growing concern over income inequality, despite years of rapid economic growth.

The elections, held over the past year — including local, European, parliamentary and presidential votes — have revealed deep-rooted public frustration. Dan’s win is seen as a mandate for change from voters disillusioned with the status quo.

“The Romanian state needs a fundamental change, of course within the limits of the rule of law,” Dan said during his inauguration. “I invite you to continue to be involved with all the social force you have demonstrated to put positive pressure on the institutions of the Romanian state so that they reform, and I assure you that I will be a president open to the voice of society and a partner with society.”

The annulment of the previous presidential vote in December — still lacking a full official explanation — sparked concern among investors and civil society. However, Dan’s election is seen as averting a potential slide towards authoritarianism and offering a renewed opportunity for democratic consolidation.