14 candidates ran for Presidency in the first round of elections this year. The first exit polls results were announced when the polls close, at 9 p.m.. Three opinion poll institutions are accredited for this ballot: IRES, Curs and Avangarde.
The CURS Avangarde exit polls say that the incumbent President Klaus Iohannis is in the second round with 39%. The PSD’s candidate, Viorica Dancila ranks second with 22.5%, while the USR-PLUS candidate, Dan Barna is credited with 16.4%.
IRES gave the same ranking, with slight differences in the figures: Klaus Iohannis – 38,7%, Viorica Dăncilă – 22 % and Dan Barna – 16,1%.
The exit polls don’t include the votes in the Diaspora, where the voting is not over yet.
CURS-Avangarde
- Klaus Iohannis 39,0 %
- Viorica Dăncilă 22,5%
- Dan Barna 16,4%
- Mircea Diaconu 7,9%
- Theodor Paleologu 6,1%
- Kelemen Hunor 3,9%
- Viorel Cataramă 0,3%
- Bogdan Stanoevici 0,2%
- Cătălin Ivan 0,2%
- Ramona Ioana Bruynseels 1,9%
- John Ion Banu 0,1%
- Sebastian Popescu 0,1%
- Alexandru Cumpănașu 1,2%
- Ninel Peia 0,2%
IRES
- Klaus Iohannis – 38,7%
- Viorica Dăncilă – 22 %
- Dan Barna – 16,1%
- Mircea Diaconu – 8.2%
- Theodor Paleologu – 5,6%
- Kelemen Hunor – 4,6%
- Ramona Bruynseels – 2 %
- Alexandru Cumpănașu – 1,2%
Klaus Iohannis speech
“Never had Romanians voted so clearly and in high numbers against PSD. The exit polls show that millions of Romanians voted for a normal Romania and to continue the process of change for the good in Romania. I have always believed in Romanians, and the turnout today is a great joy for democracy.
Our common fight today does not belong to any party label but to totally remove PSD from power, so that PSD should be prevented from keeping Romania prisoner in the past.
Today we have taken a step in this direction, but it isn’t the decisive step, there is still a lot of work to do.
If we’d let PSD to continue its plan, today Romania would have returned to the 90s. Because this is what PSD wants, if it is not stopped. And this is the decision of this year- to stop PSD for good”.
He urged voters “those who were in the street next to him to defend the rule of law” to come to polls for the runoffs, “so that their fight should not have been in vain”.
“To those who want to not leave Romania anymore, come to the polls, for now we can change things”.
Iohannis also sent a message to the USR-PLUS voters in an attempt to ask for their votes in the runoffs, reminding them that they have something in common “the faith that the rule of law and the European path are the pillars on which they can build a future together”.
Viorica Dancila:
PSD’s candidate Viorica Dancila, ranked second in the exit polls, began her speech with thanking the PSD local leaders and to all who credited her.
“I am confident we’ll be in the runoffs. Considering the exit polls gave a 6 pc difference between me and the third ranked, it can be hardly overturned by the Diaspora vote”, she argued.
Asked if is she cried, Dancila replied :“I haven’t cried at all. Maybe men cried, for they also cry sometimes.”
“I am content, considering there were 14 candidates. We are in the second round, with al anti-PSD and anti-Dancila campaigns.”
Dan Barna: I am optimist
USR-PLUS candidate, Dan Barna, said the results are encouraging, despite exit polls ranked him third. “We remain optimist. Thanks to Diaspora, who sent this message that only by getting involved we can change things. It is an unprecedented turnout record in Diaspora, this gives us confidence and hope. There is still one more hour to vote in Europe, two in UK and 7 to 10 hours in the United States and Canada.
I am optimist on the result, for the last hours have shown an upward trend”.