An upset presidential election victory in Romania on Sunday by a pro-European Union centrist over a hard-right nationalist eased fears among many in the Balkan nation that their political future was being swept up in the tide of right-wing populism spreading across Europe.

Romanians are casting their ballots in a tense presidential runoff between a hard-right nationalist and a pro-Western centrist

Pro-European Union candidate Nicusor Dan has won Romania’s closely watched presidential runoff against a hard-right nationalist, nearly complete electoral data shows. A huge turnout Sunday played a key role in the tense election that many viewed as a geopolitical choice between East or West.