George Simion was elected president of Romania's far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) at the party's Congress on Sunday, March 27. He received 784 votes, while his opponent, Danut Aelenei, received 38 votes, according to News.ro.

More than 800 AUR delegates from all county and foreign branches attended the party's Congress in Bucharest on Sunday. 

According to Digi24, after the result of the vote was announced, George Simion said that he does not want to run in the 2024 presidential elections, adding that AUR will back a person who will run against the "candidate of the system" in the second round.

"I do not want to be the AUR candidate in the 2024 presidential elections because AUR, through the candidate it will support, will send someone who will run against the candidate of the system in the second round. I want to make sure we send the winner of these elections to the second round in 2024," Simion said.

He also said that those who would join his team would have to "put in a lot of effort" to "do good to the country."

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Ilona Andrei)