In Romania, clean politics clean up

Much of Europe seemed surprised Sunday night after the big election victory of Nicuşor Dan as Romania’s next president. It shouldn’t have been. Yes, a hard-right nationalist candidate appeared to be ahead in the polls. But the tipoff that Mr. Dan would win was right there in his campaign slogan: “Honest Romania.”

With a doctorate in mathematics, the independent politician had done his math. Last year, a poll of young Romanians ages 18 to 24 showed that 72% see corruption as their country’s main problem in the next decade. That strong desire among young people for honest and transparent government helped push voter turnout in the election to a record level.

In a victory speech, Mr. Dan, the mayor of the capital, Bucharest, said the election proved the “incredible power” of Romanian society. He should know. He was once an anti-corruption civic activist, fighting against illegal real estate projects. In a 2021 survey, Romania ranked first within the European Union for bribery offered for public services.

Now as incoming president, Mr. Dan plans to ensure that rule of law puts “public institutions back at the service of the citizen.” Among other reforms, he wants to digitize the tax authority to ensure fair taxation and end political favoritism by modernizing state-owned companies, which he says are “monopolized by interest groups.”

Romania is not alone among southeastern Europe countries in dealing with young voters who want graft-busting leaders. Surveys of youth have found similarly high levels of anti-corruption fervor in the region. Such sentiments help build a core defense against Russia’s attempts to restore its imperialist influence. Trust in democracy starts with trust in the honesty of leaders.