Romania holds a presidential election Sunday that could narrow to nationalist and leftist candidates

BUCHAREST, Romania — At the campaign headquarters of his far-right nationalist party in Romania's capital, George Simion hailed Donald Trump's reelection days before he runs in his own country's presidential race. He also denied allegations that he is a Russian spy.

''I would like for Romanians to feel that the leaders are rule-makers, not simply rule-takers,'' the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians leader told reporters Wednesday in Bucharest. Formed in 2019, the party known by its initials AUR proclaims to stand for ''family, nation, faith, and freedom.''

The 38-year-old candidate, who is banned from entering Moldova and Ukraine over security concerns, strongly denied "all the allegations regarding any kind of connections with the Russian intelligence officers.''

Sunday's presidential election has 13 candidates and is expected to go to a Dec. 8 runoff, potentially pitting Simion against Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who is backed by Romania's largest party, the Social Democratic Party, or PSD.

The European Union and NATO member country will also hold parliamentary elections Dec. 1 that will determine Romania's next government and prime minister. The presidential role carries a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security and foreign policy.

Ciolacu told The Associated Press he has a ''clear plan for a more developed Romania that leaves no one behind, an internal plan based on economic growth on investments and a plan for a more respected and influential Romania abroad.''

''Unfortunately, we have political leaders who challenge our presence in the EU and NATO … I believe that extremists must be politically isolated and not taken into account by any government,'' the PSD leader added.

Besides Ciolacu and Simion, other key candidates are Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party, former NATO deputy general secretary Mircea Geoana, who is running independently, and Nicolae Ciuca, a former army general and prime minister of the center-right National Liberal Party, which is currently in a tense coalition with the PSD.

Claudiu Tufis, an associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest, said polling data ahead of the race were unreliable, because ''there's a lot of attempts to generate a particular outcome.''

''All that I can say for sure is that it's probably going to be a fight between Simion and Lasconi," Tufis said. "I think it depends on the mobilization both within Romania and outside Romania.''

Some voters feel that none of the candidates in Sunday's race is addressing issues they view as significant.

''I think we are in a situation where an economic and social crisis is more and more present in our lives,'' said Catrinel Toncu, a 24-year-old anthropology student. ''I don't see any discussion on upcoming systemic changes. ... Each of them is problematic, in my opinion.''

Simion has long been a figure of controversy. He campaigned for reunification with Moldova, which this year renewed a five-year ban on him entering the country. In 2020, the AUR party went from relative obscurity to gaining 9% in a parliamentary vote, allowing it to enter parliament.

Opponents have accused Simion and AUR of being extremist. In 2022, Israel's ambassador to Romania condemned AUR for opposing a mandate for studying the Holocaust in Romania, which it deemed a ''minor issue.'' The party opposes same-sex marriage and has close ties to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

At his party's campaign headquarters, Simion called Russian President Vladimir Putin ''a war criminal'' and said Western sanctions against Russia ''were not enough.'' But he also said he opposes Romania — which has sent a Patriot missile system to Ukraine — contributing further military aid to its war-torn neighbor.

''I am not a fan of continuing the war, and I hope that President-elect Trump will stop this war," he said.

Tufis said Trump's reelection could bolster support for Simion, who has praised him. ''Trump is a disruptor, and Simion to some extent can be thought of in this way — as disruptors of the political system,'' he said.

After Russia fully invaded Ukraine in 2022, Romania has played an increasingly prominent role in NATO, including opening a training hub for F-16 jet pilots from allied countries and other partners, including Ukraine.

Geoana, a former foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, told the AP that he believes his international experience qualifies him above the other candidates.

''I think the political establishment in Romania is lagging behind Romanian society,'' he said. ''We are a big country, we are strategically immensely relevant for all our partners and allies, but Romania should become a truly multi-regional player and power.''

The former NATO official also acknowledged the rise of populism, saying that people who vote ''for such extreme solutions are the ones who were basically abandoned by the Romanian state and by the current political establishment, the ones in the small cities in Romania, the ones in the countryside.''

Presidential hopeful Lasconi, a former journalist and the leader of USR, told the AP she wants to "get rid of this label of us being a corrupt and poor country.'' She also vowed to prioritize pushing for Romania's full accession to the Schengen area, Europe's ID-check-free travel zone.

''In all of the state institutions, the politicians, corruption is the biggest problem we are facing,'' she said. ''A few dozen of politicians that keep coming back ... who try to fill their pockets as much as possible, but do nothing for the people."

One of the main conditions of Romania's accession to the EU in 2007 was that it cracked down on endemic corruption. But it remains one of the bloc's most corrupt members, according to Transparency International.

Lasconi said she favors increasing defense spending and that supporting Ukraine ''to win the war'' is essential. ''Putin is not afraid of NATO. He is afraid of freedom. Freedom, democracy, and the rule of law are contagious,'' she said. ''The moment you have at your borders states where democracy works, many Russians might ask themselves questions.''

Eugen Ionescu, a 40-year-old restaurant owner, says he will be pushed to vote for a ''lesser evil'' in the anticipated runoff. ''That's the situation in this country for 20 years, we have to choose the lesser evil … we're not going to vote for someone because we believe in the person.''

If Simion wins, however, he fears that ''all the little stability that we have at this moment as a country will be gone.''