| Welcome to the weekend issue of Brussels Edition, Bloomberg's daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. Join us on Saturdays for deeper dives from our bureaus across Europe. WARSAW — Poland's presidential hopeful Karol Nawrocki had a simple message when he welcomed Romanian ultra-nationalist George Simion to his rally in an old mining town of Zabrze this week. "Donald Trump supports him," he told a cheering crowd. While the statement smacks of bluster, Simion is neck-and-neck in a decisive presidential round tomorrow against a centrist mayor. Nawrocki, who got his handshake with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this month, is making his own bid when the Poles cast their ballots in the first round of the election on the same day.  Karol Nawrocki, during a political rally in Garwolin, Poland, on May 5. Photographer: Omar Marques/Getty Images Europe The contests will again test how resilient the EU is to a rising tide of populism that the US president has helped to unleash. In their remarks, both candidates slammed the EU and vowed not to let Brussels turn their two countries into obedient provinces. In Portugal, which is voting this weekend in its third parliamentary elections in just three years, the coalition of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro is locked in a tight race against opposition Socialists following a far-right surge in the previous vote. Romania remains ground zero, for now. The sudden emergence of ultranationalist candidates has wreaked havoc on the establishment that has run the country since the fall of communism almost four decades ago. Simion's resounding victory in the first round of the election followed a decision to cancel the previous vote and to ban its winner Calin Georgescu from participating over allegations of Russian meddling. The whole experience left Romania reeling. The country lost its prime minister and is trying to contain weakening currency as political instability and concern about its shaky finances prompted investors to take fright. The Trump administration is also on its case over the cancelled election.
Simion, meanwhile, who is banned from entering Ukraine and opposes military aid for Kyiv, may soon end up representing his country at NATO and EU summits. Unless, of course, he's stopped by Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, his main contender in the run-off.  George Simion, left, with Calin Georgescu in Mogosoaia, Romania, on May 4. Photographer: Andrei Pungovschi/Getty Images Europe Another mayor, this time of Warsaw, is holding the fort in Poland. Rafal Trzaskowski may face Nawrocki as the field of 13 candidates narrows to a two-person race in a potential June 1 run-off. The stakes in the race are still high. Poland has managed to stop the nationalist march after the coalition of Prime Minister Donald Tusk unexpectedly won parliamentary elections in 2023. Tusk promised to fix the country's democratic institutions following eight years of rule-of-law infringements under Law & Justice party, but his effort were thwarted by President Andrzej Duda, a holdover from the previous administration. Like Romania, he needs a mayor to stem the tide. — Piotr Skolimowski, team leader for Central and Eastern Europe economic and government coverage | 
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