BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court on Thursday validated the results of Romania’s presidential election rerun, shortly after rejecting a request to annul the results by the hard-right candidate who decisively lost the race to his pro-European Union opponent.
After deliberations on Thursday, Romania’s Constitutional Court unanimously rejected the annulment request, filed on Tuesday by George Simion, in which he alleged that foreign interference and coordinated manipulation affected the vote.
The Court then validated the results and held a short ceremony attended by the elected President Nicusor Dan, the Bucharest mayor who won the tense runoff, beating Simion with 53.6% of the vote, a margin of more than 829,000 votes.
“I want to thank the Romanian people who turned out in great numbers for the May elections and, in doing so, gave legitimacy to the new president,” 55-year-old Dan, a mathematician and former civic activist, said at the court during the ceremony.
“A new chapter is beginning in Romania’s recent and contemporary history. I want to assure Romanian citizens that I understand the responsibility of the mandate they have entrusted to me,” he said. “There will be many challenges, and I hope that we will successfully overcome all of them.”
Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, had conceded defeat after losing in the runoff to Dan, but later contested the results. The court said its decision on Thursday is final.
In his request to annul the election, Simion claimed he had “irrefutable evidence” that France, Moldova and “other actors” meddled in the ballot, but did not present any evidence. He also alleged that “deceased people” had participated in the vote, and that he requested it be canceled on the same grounds as the court’s decision last year.
After the court rejected his annulment request, Simion said in a post on Facebook that the Court “has continued the coup!”
“We have no choice but to fight!,” his post read. “I call on you to stand with me, today and in the coming weeks!”
Sunday’s tense vote was held months after the same court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu led the first round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.
The Court's unprecedented decision last year to cancel the election plunged EU and NATO member Romania into its worst political crisis in decades, compounded by a string of crises such as the war in neighboring Ukraine and a significant budget deficit.
Dan is expected to be officially sworn in next week, after which he must also contend with deep societal divisions laid bare by the vote, revealing a country where endemic corruption, inequality and an erosion of trust in traditional institutions and parties have fueled a broad rejection of the political establishment.
"Romanian society has shown wisdom, and I am convinced that in the period ahead, it will continue to push for the positive change that Romania needs,” Dan added Thursday. "I will fight for the strengthening of state institutions ... I will also fight for the country’s economic prosperity, I will be a partner to the business environment, and I will be a guarantor of civil liberties."
Dan will also face the challenge of nominating a prime minister who can garner the support necessary to form a government — a tall order in a country where strong anti-establishment sentiment led to the emergence of figures like Georgescu and Simion.
Simion capitalized on the furor over last year's annulment and, after coming fourth in the canceled race, allied with Georgescu, who was banned in March from running in the election redo. In the first-round vote on May 4 in the rerun, Simion won a landslide in a field of 11 candidates to enter the runoff.
Hours after voting opened on Friday for Romanians abroad, Simion accused the government of neighboring Moldova of election fraud, which both Moldovan and Romanian authorities rejected.
In comment to The Associated Press on Sunday, he reiterated claims that people were being illegally transported to voting stations in Moldova, allegedly affecting 80,000 votes.
More than half a million Moldovans hold Romanian citizenship, and about 158,000 people voted at polling stations set up in Moldova in the second round. Many more dual citizens would also have cast ballots in other countries.
As a member of the EU and one of the easternmost members of the NATO military alliance, Romania plays a pivotal role in Western security infrastructure — especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.
Many observers saw Sunday’s vote as crucial to maintaining Romania’s place within the network of Western alliances — especially amid fears that the Trump administration is reconsidering its security commitments to the United States’ European partners.
Presidential candidate George Simion waits to address members of the business community at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, days ahead of the second round of the presidential election redo in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Arsenal ensured it will end the year top of the Premier League after beating Aston Villa 4-1 at home in a powerful statement win on Tuesday with all goals scored in the second half.
The fourth goal, scored by substitute Gabriel Jesus one minute after coming on, highlighted the depth of Arsenal's bench this season and coach Mikel Arteta jubilantly high-fived his assistants at the final whistle.
Victory moved Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City, which plays at Sunderland on New Year's Day, and six points clear of third-place Villa.
Elsewhere, Chelsea drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth; Newcastle won 3-1 at lowly Burnley; and Manchester United was held 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Wolverhampton.
Struggling West Ham drew 2-2 with visiting Brighton, and Everton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.
No Arsenal player is near the top of the scorers’ charts this season, yet sharing the goals around might just be the team’s strength.
Defender Gabriel Magalhães headed home early in the second half following a corner for set-piece specialist Arsenal, and midfielder Martín Zubimendi netted in the 52nd minute.
Winger Leandro Trossard curled in a fine third from the edge of the penalty area in the 69th and was involved in the fourth goal, curled into the same corner from almost the same spot in the 78th minute by Jesus after Arsenal had launched a superb counterattack from deep.
The win was even more impressive considering Arsenal was missing key midfielder Declan Rice with a knee injury and Villa was playing on the back of 11 straight victories in all competitions.
Gabriel nodded in from close range and was deemed not to have impeded Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with his elbow.
Zubimendi finished confidently after captain Martin Ødegaard expertly won the ball in midfield and advanced before threading a perfect ball behind Villa’s defense.
Ollie Watkins grabbed an injury-time consolation for Villa.
Bournemouth's David Brooks netted early from close range after Chelsea failed to deal with a throw-in from the right.
Cole Palmer equalized in the 15th with a penalty awarded after a video review ruled that Antoine Semenyo’s knee had gone into the back of forward Estevão’s leg.
Midfielder Enzo Fernández gave Chelsea the lead midway through the first half, but Chelsea gifted Bournemouth an equalizer when a defender headed on a throw-in from the left and Justin Kluivert scored at the back post for 2-2.
Chelsea is fifth and level on 30 points with United in sixth.
Manchester United led through Joshua Zirkzee’s deflected strike in the 27th but Ladislav Krejčí equalized close to halftime for Wolves with a powerful downward header.
It was Wolves manager Rob Edwards' first point since taking charge in November.
Patrick Dorgu’s injury-time goal for United was ruled out for offside by VAR.
Yoane Wissa grabbed his first league goal since joining from Brentford as Newcastle moved into 10th spot.
Newcastle was 2-0 up inside seven minutes with Joelinton being set up from the left wing by Anthony Gordon and Wissa bundling in from close range following a goalmouth scramble.
Josh Laurent pulled a goal back for Burnley midway through the first half. Newcastle survived nervy moments before Bruno Guimarães sealed the win with an expert lob in stoppage time.
Next-to-last Burnley is two points behind West Ham in 18th.
Everton netted in the 19th when James Garner drilled in a low finish after being set up down the right by Dwight McNeil.
Garner then turned neatly in midfield before feeding Thierno Barry with a defense-splitting pass to make it 2-0 against Forest in the 79th.
West Ham took an early lead against Brighton when striker Jarrod Bowen latched onto Lucas Paquetá’s exquisite through ball from halfway and struck a low shot into the bottom corner.
Veteran forward Danny Welbeck equalized for Brighton from the penalty spot for his eighth goal of the season, and then hit the crossbar with a Panenka-style chipped penalty later in the first half.
Paquetá converted his spot kick with a staggered run-up in first-half injury time, but Joël Veltman equalized for Brighton in the 61st following a corner.
Defending champion Liverpool hosts Leeds on Thursday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee celebrates after he scored the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Chelsea's Joao Pedro, top, helps Wesley Fofana stand up after the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth in London, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Gabriel, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Aston Villa in London, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP photo/Alastair Grant)
Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Aston Villa in London, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP photo/Alastair Grant)
Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Aston Villa in London, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP photo/Alastair Grant)
