While Romania's victory for Nicusor Dan signals a win for moderate forces over populist candidates, Poland faces a tight second-round battle between centrist and nationalist presidential candidates. The race between Warsaw's centrist mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who may gain support from far-right candidates Slawomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun, remains highly uncertain. Europe breathes a sigh of relief over Romania's pro-EU outcome but watches Poland—a key military power—with concern.
NATO chief Mark Rutte also welcomed Romania's result, though Hungary and Slovakia continue to pose challenges. Meanwhile, Trump and Putin's call today raises skepticism, as analysts doubt Putin's genuine interest in peace.