By early Sunday afternoon, the results of the first round of the presidential election in Romania, and a first or even second place showing of the man proudly known as “the Romanian Donald Trump,” will be known.

Whether George Simion comes in first or second in a crowded contest in which his strongest opponent is Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the results will be big news worldwide. Simion, 38, leads the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Party and his performance at the polls Sunday is likely to be the latest in a string of recent strong showings by candidates and parties considered “nationalist” and “populist” — in Germany, Austria, France, and the Netherlands.

“We are a sort of Trumpist party in this new wave of political parties in Europe,” Simion told the Financial Times last week. Like Trump in the recent U.S. election, Simion benefits from voter reaction to the high cost of living and growing impatience with his country’s support of Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.

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