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2025-05-05 10:55:00
Nationalist Dominates First Round Of Romanian Presidential Election
Nationalist Dominates First Round Of Romanian Presidential Election
In the latest chapter in the country's months-long political drama that has seen an election thrown out and the winner charged with political crimes, 38-year-old conservative nationalist George Simion decisively won the first round of balloting in Romania's "do-over" presidential election, sending him to a May 18 runoff where he'll face centrist Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan.
Simion has likened his political philosophy to Donald Trump's, saying his Alliance for the Union of Romanians party is "a Trumpist party," and promising to "Make Romania Great Again." The win is a buzzkill for Western leftists who've been enjoying the afterglow of comeback victories in https://www.zerohedge.com/political/canadian-election-poilievre-odds-explode-higher-conservative-turnout-larger-expected
.
Though his first-round win was expected, Simion far outperformed the polling, taking https://prezenta.roaep.ro/prezidentiale04052025/pv/romania/results/
.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/AFP__20250504__44E73BH__v4__HighRes__CorrectionRomaniaVote.jpeg?itok=XF7Zqw9t
Simion called the election a "victory for Romanian dignity...Despite the obstacles, despite the manipulation, despite a press paid to demean us day after day, Romanians have stood up.” The election has been closely watched by Western powers, as it could reshape Romania's relationships with the European Union and NATO.
However, while he's criticized both entities, don't expect Simion to usher Romania out of either of them. In various comments leading up to the election, he discounted the idea of Romania exiting NATO or the EU, sounded alarms over the supposed Russian menace, advocated continued sanctions against Moscow, and embraced increased European military spending. Consider these Simion quotes from an interview with the https://www.ft.com/content/316f22dd-e646-4629-9bc1-8abeecb3970e
:
“Our stance cannot be changed. Eighty percent of the Romanians want NATO and want the European Union. This is not something we can negotiate.”
“Putin’s Russia was and is one of the biggest threats for the European states, especially for us, for the Baltic states and for Poland."
“Without a common geopolitical bloc, like . . . NATO, led by the US, we are in a big danger.”
While foreign observers tend to view the election through a NATO/EU lens, domestic political concerns are probably far more important to a public fed up with the corruption and incompetence of the mainstream parties. “Simion is the main representative of a strong anti-system feeling in Romanian society," political analyst Radu Magdin told https://www.politico.eu/article/george-simion-romania-presidential-election-crin-antonescu-nicusor-dan-victor-ponta-elena-lasconi/
.
Simion has promised, if elected, to help secure a position in Romanian government for Calin Georgescu -- perhaps as prime minister. In a huge, https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/another-nationalist-upset-right-wing-nato-critic-wins-first-round-romanian-election
in November, nationalist Georgescu won the first round of balloting in Romania's first go at this presidential election. Then, just two days before the runoff, the country's Constitutional Court threw out the election and ordered it to be started anew -- based on shaky allegations that his victory was the result of Russian interference.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Screen%20Shot%202025-05-04%20at%2011.45.34%20PM.jpeg?itok=fGwfY5-K
Georgescu was barred from running again. In February, Georgescu was https://www.zerohedge.com/political/romanian-police-nab-election-front-runner-calin-georgescu-after-russian-interference
as he faced Orwellian allegations of disseminating "false information" and "incitement to actions against the constitutional order." Upon his release from custody, he was forbidden from appearing on mass media or creating social media accounts. Huge protests followed each move by the government to banish Georgescu from politics and discourse. In addition to charges of illegal campaign tactics, he's also been charged with helping to establish an organization “with a fascist, racist or xenophobic character.”
Campaigning last fall, Georgescu pledged to restore Romanian sovereignty and put an end to what he characterizes as subservience to NATO and the EU. He https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dlw5pq967o
US arms-makers were manipulating the conflict.
Whatever his degree of nationalism, Simion is poised to become the third nationalist leading an eastern European country, alongside Hungary's Viktor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico -- that is, unless the leftists once again find a way to bar a popular right-wing candidate from victory.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Mon, 05/05/2025 - 06:55
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/nationalist-dominates-first-round-romanian-presidential-election