section_path: Early political career (2019–2024)/Founding of AUR
section_name: Founding of AUR
paragraph_text: Founding of AUR
  
  On 19 September 2019, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) was formally established, with Simion initially serving as one of the two co-presidents, alongside Claudiu Târziu. Later that year, on 1 December— Great Union Day, Romania's national holiday—Simion announced that AUR would contest both the 2020 local and parliamentary elections. In the local elections in September, the party won mayoral seats in three towns: Amara, Pufești, and Valea Lungă. Simion's national profile rose sharply following the December parliamentary elections, where AUR secured 9 per cent of the vote, making it the fourth-largest party in Parliament, despite being less than a year old at the time. The party's rapid rise was largely attributed to a social media campaign successful in galvanising support from key demographics. AUR especially drew a strong backing from the Romanian diaspora, particularly communities in Italy, Cyprus, France and Spain. Following the election, Simion faced criticism for having allowed two former military officers, Francisc Tobă and Nicolae Roman, to run and be elected for AUR, despite allegedly having participated in the repression of the Romanian Revolution of 1989.
  
  In February 2022, following controversial statements by Georgescu regarding Corneliu Zelea Codreanu and Ion Antonescu, Simion renounced Georgescu's comments and reversed his proposal for Georgescu to be honorary president of AUR. On 27 March 2022, the first congress of AUR was held at the Palace of the Parliament. Simion ran to be voted in as party chairman, his only opponent being the then AUR deputy in the Constanța County Dănuț Aelenei. Aelenei stated that he only nominated himself to show that AUR was a democratic party. Simion got 784 votes while Aelenei received 38, resulting in Simion becoming the party's sole chairman, having previously shared this position with Târziu. In the June 2024 European Parliament election in Romania, AUR contested the election as part of the AUR Alliance, a strategic electoral coalition formed with several smaller parties. The alliance secured 15 per cent of the vote, translating into six seats, among those elected was Cristian Terheș.
  
  In the 2024 parliamentary election on 1 December for the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, between the first and anticipated second round of the presidential election, Simion was re-elected deputy for his Bucharest seat, while his party became the second largest in both houses, with the incumbent National Coalition for Romania losing its majority. On 23 December, a new government was formed with AUR in opposition.