Pro-Europe mayor triumphs in crucial vote which could decide Romania's path

Supporters of presidential candidate Nicusor Dan celebrate in the street after polls closed for the second round of the country’s presidential election in Bucharest. Picture: Vadim Ghirda/AP

The pro-European Union candidate in Romania’s critical presidential runoff has won the closely watched race against a hard-right nationalist, nearly complete electoral data shows, in a tense election rerun that many viewed as a geopolitical choice between East or West.

The race pitted front-runner George Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, against incumbent Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan.