Romania's right-wing, pro-Russian turn would mean big problems for the EU and NATO, the Politico website wrote on Tuesday. The first round of presidential elections took place in the country. It was won by the non-partisan, far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, called a “Putinophile sovereignist”. Second round on December 8.
As the portal reported, “alarm can be heard in Brussels” after the victory of the pro-Russian candidate. Politico assessed that the turn in Romanian politics coincides with the decisions taken by… Russia attempts to draw EU countries or its neighbors into the pro-Moscow camp.
Georgescu's victory raises fears that – after the elections in Moldova and Georgia – Moscow may try to draw Romania, a NATO and EU member state, into its camp. Meanwhile, as the portal noted, key politicians Hungarian and Slovakia they no longer hide their pro-Russian views. “The Czech Republic could soon join them if former Prime Minister Andrej Babis wins the parliamentary elections next year,” Politico added.
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As the portal wrote, “if Bucharest also leans towards a more anti-European, pro-Russian side,” it will weaken the functioning of the Community and make it more difficult to “build harmony between member states.”
– The electoral result of this radical, pro-Russian candidate is part of a hybrid war waged by Russia against European democracy, commented Siegfried Muresan, a Romanian MEP from the European People's Party.
Illustration showing Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu and Russian President Vladimir Putin PAP/EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT
– If you follow Russia's activities in this region, you know that Romania is very important to it, said Milan Nic, an analyst at the German Council on Foreign Relations.
Concerns that there may have been interference in the elections in Romania stem from the fact that Georgescu gained nearly 23 percent support and won the first round, even though he did not have the support of a party, and polls they do not confirm its popularity.
– It is a product of a vacuum (in Romanian politics – ed.) and probably Russian money – said Nic. – If you can suddenly spend so much money on (a campaign on – ed.) TikTok, it raises questions – the analyst noted.
A surprise in the first round of elections
IN first round of the presidential elections Georgescu won 22.94 percent of the votes. Second place in the race went to the leader of the center-right Union for the Salvation of Romania (USR), Elena Lasconi, with 19.8 percent of the votes. The Social Democratic Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, considered a certain winner of the first round, came only in third place with 19.2 percent of the votes.
The election results are a surprise to everyone, from politicians and voters to sociologists and the media. Georgescu is a niche politician with extreme views, without a party base, who gained popularity mainly thanks to the campaign on TikTok.
Georgescu was initially outside the circle of favorites in the polls before the elections. In the last study on Friday, he placed fourth.
There is fear in Brussels that Georgescu may win in the second round on December 8. If this happens, Romania will join a growing list of countries whose leaders are critical of the EU and NATO and friendly to Vladimir Putin.
Georgescu criticized the fact that USA they have an anti-missile shield on Romanian territory. He maintained that NATO membership would not provide the country with security. After Russia's military invasion of Ukraine he maintained that Putin “loves his country very much and is surrounded by professionals.”
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT