What really happened in Romania and who was behind whom? A journalistic investigation reveals the behind-the-scenes of the surprising campaign of a pro-Russian presidential candidate. The campaign was surprising because it was effective, even though the candidate was unknown. Now the surprises are only multiplying, and not all of them have their sources in the Kremlin. Material from the “Poland and World” magazine. The entire edition is available on TVN24 GO.
In Bucharest it's like in Hitchcock. First, there was the earthquake – when the presidential elections were held and were invalidated after the first round. Now new reports are emerging, increasing the tension.
Romanian investigative journalists have found a clue that the victory of an unknown pro-Russian candidate in the invalidated elections was not just the result of manipulation in social media by the Russian services.
– On the eve of the elections, an extreme candidate was first promoted and then the elections were canceled, which is more typical of countries with a less stable political situation – says Jakub Bielamowicz from the New Europe Institute.
A failed plot to split the radical electorate
Journalists of the snoop.ro portal, citing the Romanian office monitoring the expenses of political parties, suggest that the campaign of a candidate who questions the sense of NATO, Ukraine calls an imaginary state, a Vladimir Putin and the fascists of the 1930s it praises was indirectly sponsored by a party that was part of the – allegedly pro-Western – ruling coalition.
It was supposed to be a sophisticated intrigue. The National Liberal Party, with the participation of the services, allegedly helped radical candidate Calin Georgescu on TikTok. Kensington Communication, financed by PNL, hired 130 Internet developers who started working – so successful that it even surprised their employers.
Calin GeorgescuROBERT GHEMENT/PAP/EPA
– Evidently, this intrigue got out of control, or maybe it didn't even get out of control, but was taken over by the Russian services and they gave it even greater momentum than initially intended – says Jakub Pieńkowski from the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
What is this game for? PNL co-ruled and after the parliamentary elections, which took place almost simultaneously with the problematic presidential elections, it also governs. But it needed a new opening, regrouping, because few people were in a hurry to rule there. It was also about weakening other progressive forces. Reason? The need to introduce raises and freeze salaries in the budget.
Threat of victory for pro-Russian Georgescu
The introduction of the pro-Putin candidate Georgescu and his promotion had one goal – to show Romanians that the government may not be ideal, but it is still better than the radicals who can push Romania into the arms of the Kremlin.
– If the PNL party actually supported Georgescu, it was to split the votes of the radical right-wing electorate – says Jakub Bielamowicz.
The effect of the confusion is such that the new government of the social democratic prime minister, who – as it turned out – was tampering with the elections, was the liberal PNL and the pro-Orban Democratic Union. Węgrów in Romania – will field one candidate.
This intrigue may cause trust in the ruling parties to weaken. Perhaps so much that the threat of pro-Russian Georgescu winning will not be just a bad memory. New date – March 23. Second round, two weeks later.
Main photo source: ROBERT GHEMENT/PAP/EPA