{"id":8679,"date":"2025-06-05T10:05:16","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T10:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/romanias-presidential-election-a-stunning-turnaround-driven-by-young-voters-and-their-grandparents-2\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T08:44:02","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T08:44:02","slug":"prezidentske-volby-v-rumunsku-ohromujuci-obrat-ktory-pohanaju-mladi-volici-a-ich-stari-rodicia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/prezidentske-volby-v-rumunsku-ohromujuci-obrat-ktory-pohanaju-mladi-volici-a-ich-stari-rodicia\/","title":{"rendered":"Prezidentsk\u00e9 vo\u013eby v Rumunsku: ohromuj\u00faci obrat, ktor\u00fd poh\u00e1\u0148aj\u00fa mlad\u00ed voli\u010di a ich star\u00ed rodi\u010dia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the first round, candidate George Simion secured 40.96% of the vote and appeared to be the clear favorite, while Nicu\u0219or Dan, the pro-European independent, came in second with just 20.99%. Two weeks later, the picture changed radically: on May 18, Nicu\u0219or Dan won the election, and the result was fiercely contested. The question gripping the public is: who tipped the scales, and how was it possible?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Youth and the Elderly \u2013 The Vote of Rational Emotion<\/b><\/p>\n

The answer lies in detailed sociological analyses. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing an unexpected configuration: young people under 30 with higher education, as well as individuals over 60, voted for Nicu\u0219or Dan in numbers above the national average,\u201d explains sociologist Ioan Hosu, professor at Babe\u0219-Bolyai University in Cluj.<\/span><\/p>\n

This seemingly paradoxical intergenerational alliance was driven by a shared choice: liberal democracy. \u201cIn other words, grandparents and their grandchildren chose together the path of dignity, reason, and Western-style democracy,\u201d Hosu says.<\/span><\/p>\n

The aspirations of the younger generation were especially evident in university towns, where voters were drawn to a message that rejected isolation and hatred, instead emphasizing tolerance and empathy. \u201cAnother variable that must be considered is the type of locality. Those living in large cities, particularly university centers, moved in the same direction \u2013 a direction defined by a discourse opposing isolationist ideas,\u201d Hosu notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Data: Young People Voted Overwhelmingly for Dan<\/b><\/p>\n

According to data presented by professor C\u0103t\u0103lin Stoica (SNSPA, former director of CURS), 58% of young voters aged 18 to 30 voted for Nicu\u0219or Dan in the second round \u2013 significantly above the national average. This marks a notable shift from the first round, when George Simion was the favorite among this age group with 43%, compared to Dan\u2019s 34%.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDan\u2019s victory was due in part to the youth vote, but even more so to voters aged 61 and over,\u201d Stoica adds, underlining the importance of the senior electorate. Education level was also crucial: 74.5% of university graduates voted for Dan, while Simion\u2019s support came mostly from those with only a primary or high school education.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another key factor: 65.4% of those who did not vote in the first round but turned out for the second chose Nicu\u0219or Dan, according to the CURS analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Affective Reconfiguration: Fear and Anger<\/b><\/p>\n

Sociologist Antonio Amuza (IRES) looks beyond the numbers to the emotional substratum: \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the young who abandoned the sovereigntist camp, but the elderly. They emotionally withdrew from an option perceived as risky. It\u2019s a case of emotional rationalization,\u201d he explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Simion\u2019s voters were driven by anger and frustration, seeking change at any cost, Dan\u2019s electorate was motivated by fear of instability and a desire for balance. \u201cFear, anger, and reason combined to create an unpredictable electoral cocktail,\u201d says Amuza.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, a significant share of senior voters reacted to a change in Simion\u2019s campaign tone. From a coherent and forceful speech in the first round, it shifted to what Amuza describes as \u201churried, jerky, sometimes incoherent\u201d in the final round \u2013 which alienated even some of his original supporters.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Diaspora Vote: European Nuances<\/b><\/p>\n

The ENTR project, which analyzed the vote of Romanians in nine European countries, revealed notable geographical differences. Romanians in Hungary and Poland voted overwhelmingly for Nicu\u0219or Dan, while his weakest performance was recorded in Germany \u2013 indicating that not only values but also local contexts shape electoral behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n

The 2025 presidential election was not just a duel between two candidates but a major test of the Romanian electorate\u2019s profile. Educated youth and their grandparents formed a coalition of lucidity, guided by fear, reason, and the hope for a Romania that remains anchored in democratic values.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an age of manipulation and algorithms, the choice was made \u2013 not just with the mind, but with the heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

INFOBOX<\/span><\/p>\n

Profile of the Pro-European Voter<\/b><\/p>\n

The profile (by education, age, and gender) of those who voted for Nicu\u0219or Dan reveals a clear demographic trend: voters with a medium level of education accounted for just over 50% of the total, while those with higher education made up more than 80%.<\/span><\/p>\n

The age groups 18\u201329 and 45\u201359 voted for Nicu\u0219or Dan in proportions ranging between 50% and 55%. Seniors supported him in over 60% of cases. Notably, women played a crucial role in this electoral round, with over 55% choosing Nicu\u0219or Dan \u2013 a decisive contribution to his victory.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data were compiled by sociologist Ioan Hosu from public sources, including political market research institutes on election day and data provided by the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP).<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the first round, candidate George Simion secured 40.96% of the vote and appeared to be the clear favorite, while Nicu\u0219or Dan, the pro-European independent, came in second with just 20.99%. Two weeks later, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":216,"featured_media":7366,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_formats":[673],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-8679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","post_formats-clanky"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/216"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8679"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8680,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8679\/revisions\/8680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8679"},{"taxonomy":"post_formats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=8679"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}