Latest news with #Euroskeptic
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
In Poland, Nawrocki's Win Complicates Tusk's Reform Agenda
Karol Nawrocki's narrow victory in Poland's presidential election on Sunday signals a seismic shift in the country's politics. Backed by the nationalist Law and Justice, or PiS, party and endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, the hard-right and Euroskeptic Nawrocki edged out his liberal rival, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, with 50.9 percent of the vote. Although the Polish presidency has limited formal powers, its veto authority means Nawrocki's win will be felt keenly, both in Poland and across Europe. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a longtime supporter of the European Union who previously served as EU Council president, has already been forced to navigate a fractious cohabitation with outgoing President Andrzej Duda—also aligned with PiS—since taking office in December 2023. Nawrocki's tenure promises more of the same at home and a possible reorientation of Poland's place in Europe, especially if he uses his veto powers to stymie pro-democratic reforms and prepare the ground for a PiS return in legislative elections that must take place by 2027. Tusk took office promising to enact a reform agenda to restore democracy and rule of law after nine years of PiS rule. But Duda spent the past year blocking key legislation, including much-needed judicial reforms, using the presidential veto to grind governance to a halt. Nawrocki has signaled he will double down on that strategy to frustrate Tusk's every move. Nawrocki's victory shows that PiS' long game has worked. During its tenure, PiS embedded loyalists throughout state institutions, ensuring that even after losing power it could sabotage the new administration. Nawrocki is the capstone of that strategy. By vetoing laws and creating gridlock, he will allow PiS to portray Tusk's team as ineffective. It is a grim irony that a government elected to restore democracy is now hamstrung by holdovers from the illiberal regime it defeated. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. One immediate flashpoint is social policy. Nawrocki has vowed to veto any attempt to liberalize Poland's near-total ban on abortion, which allows the procedure only if a mother's life is in danger or in the case of incest. Despite mass protests and international condemnation against the draconian restrictions, they were further tightened in October 2020, when Poland's Constitutional Tribunal outlawed abortion in the case of fetal abnormalities, a move that was promoted by the country's strong anti-abortion rights movement. In addition to endorsing such hardline views, Nawrocki also opposes legalizing same-sex partnerships. In short, any law that clashes with the conservative worldview of PiS and its core supporters is likely doomed during his term in office. Another battleground is the judiciary. PiS's politicization of the courts must be reversed to fully unlock the EU funds that were withheld when the party began moving the country away from its democratic values. But Duda has thwarted every such effort since the 2023 parliamentary election that brought Tusk to power. Justice Minister Adam Bodnar has laid out a roadmap for restoring judicial independence, but most steps require presidential approval, and it is unlikely Nawrocki will cooperate any more than Duda has. With reforms stalled, millions of euros in EU funds will remain frozen, allowing PiS and Nawrocki to portray the delays as proof of government inefficiency in order to win back public support. Nawrocki's triumph has exhilarated far-right populist forces across Central Europe, where regional leaders often rail against Brussels and champion 'illiberal democracy.' Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban openly cheered Nawrocki on as a like-minded ally in Warsaw, while Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico likewise sees Poland's vote as validation of his own anti-liberal agenda. Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally, called Nawrocki's victory 'a rebuff to the Brussels oligarchy.' The message to Europe's far right is unmistakable: One of the EU's largest countries is tilting back into their camp. Nawrocki's victory will also boost the already tightening trans-Atlantic links among the far right. As a Trump admirer, Nawrocki won glowing praise from MAGA figures; speaking at CPAC Poland days before the presidential vote, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Nawrocki a 'leader that would turn Europe back to democratic values.' The ideological kinship is not just rhetorical, but also strategic. The Polish far right has studied the U.S. culture wars and now exports its version of them across Europe, echoing fears about migration and the threat to so-called traditional family values. Another flashpoint is Ukraine. Since Russia's all-out invasion in 2022, Poland has been one of Kyiv's staunchest champions. By contrast, Nawrocki ran on a 'Poland first' message that cast Ukrainian refugees as a burden and promoted a national preference policy, by which Poles would have priority access to schools and doctors over Ukrainians in the country. He also signed a pledge to block Ukraine's NATO bid and is lukewarm about Kyiv joining the EU. Though he does endorse continued military aid for the war against Russian aggression, his hard-edged nationalism signals a cooler posture toward Ukraine. This shift raises concerns about Poland's reliability as a linchpin of regional security. Western unity is crucial as tentative peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow continue in Turkey, but Warsaw's commitment could now waver. Nawrocki insists his skepticism toward Ukraine's integration into the Euro-Atlantic institutions and hostility to Ukrainian refugees is not to be confused with a pro-Russian stance, but his positions nevertheless risk undermining the united front against Moscow. Any weakening of Polish resolve would be a dramatic turn, potentially splitting NATO's eastern flank at the worst moment and handing the Kremlin an opportunity to exploit cracks in the alliance. His stance also threatens the stability of Poland's internal consensus on Ukraine. Until now, support for Kyiv had been a rare point of bipartisan agreement, and PiS' last-ditch attempt to mobilize tensions over Ukrainian grain exports to rally support weeks before the 2023 election backfired among voters. Nawrocki's rhetoric framing Ukrainian refugees as taking resources from Poles taps into a broader nationalist resentment and could further polarize the issue. With public attitudes shifting, Tusk's government may find it increasingly difficult to sustain the level of assistance it has offered Kyiv until now. For Brussels and its allies, Poland's predicament is a warning. A key member state that only recently returned to the pro-EU fold is now lurching back toward Euroskeptic nationalism. Neighbors like Hungary and Slovakia have already gone down this road, while Romania only barely resisted the trend, and capitals across the bloc are feeling the strain. Nawrocki's presidency demonstrates how difficult democratic restoration can be even after populists have been ostensibly removed from government. As a result, Poland's place at Europe's top table and its dependability on issues like Ukraine can no longer be taken for granted. Tusk's government has positioned Warsaw as a pillar of the EU mainstream and even an emerging leader in Brussels. Now, however, it is clear that a substantial proportion of Polish voters remains aligned with the bloc's nationalist fringe. The coming months will test the EU's willingness to support Poland's pro-European majority and uphold core values. If there is a silver lining, it lies in the clarity of the lesson offered by Sunday's outcome. The fight for liberal democracy in Europe is far from over, and it must be waged with renewed urgency and unity. The price of complacency has just been made painfully clear. Amanda Coakley is a strategic adviser and Europe's Futures Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. In 2024 she was named an Aspen U.K. Rising Leaders Fellow. Her monthly WPR column appears on Wednesdays. The post In Poland, Nawrocki's Win Complicates Tusk's Reform Agenda appeared first on World Politics Review.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Anti-immigrant leader quits Dutch cabinet, toppling government
Officials from other parties in the coalition said they were prepared for negotiations over the immigration plan and accused Wilders of ditching the coalition to avoid responsibility for tough government decisions, including potential budget cuts needed to increase defense spending. Advertisement Wilders, who is known for anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views, has led the Euroskeptic right-wing political movement in the Netherlands for nearly two decades and was found guilty by a Dutch court in 2016 of insulting an ethnic group. The PVV scored a shocking first-place finish in the 2023 parliamentary elections after the relatively abrupt resignation of Mark Rutte, the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history. Rutte is now secretary general of NATO. Wilders, however, was unable to claim the position of prime minister as part of coalition talks, showing resistance even by other conservative parties to back him personally given his controversial views, often criticized as extremist. As a result, the PVV's power in the Netherlands has been constrained. Still, the PVV's victory demonstrated the increasing appeal across Europe of nationalist, anti-immigrant parties. Advertisement In the Netherlands on Tuesday, critics of Wilders accused him of putting his party's political interests ahead of the needs of the country. Analysts said the country faced a period of uncertainty in the days ahead. 'Wilders has plunged the Netherlands into another round of political chaos,' said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group. 'The Dutch parliament can try to find a new majority or else there will be early elections. But the immediate outlook is one of chaos and uncertainty.' The country has been in turmoil since Rutte resigned in 2023 after his coalition failed to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. The collapse of the Rutte government demonstrated 'how sensitive of an issue immigration is politically,' said Armida van Rij, head of the Europe program at Chatham House. The position of prime minister went to former spy chief Dick Schoof, whom Wilders backed. But Schoof has made it clear he would act independently from Wilders. In the 11 months that the coalition government has been in power, PVV was unable to push forward its immigration agenda, and the party has been losing support. 'Wilders wanted the government to collapse as the support for his [party] continues to drop in the polls,' van Rij said. Wilders presented his immigration plan just weeks ahead of the Netherlands hosting the annual NATO leaders' summit in The Hague on June 24 and 25. Van Rij said Wilders may have planned to 'use this as leverage to force his coalition partners back to the negotiating table, knowing that having a caretaker government would not be a good look nor useful to advance key policy positions.' Advertisement To advance his immigration plan, Wilders had demanded that the three other ruling parties - the centrist New Social Contract (NSC); the center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD); and the right-wing, populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) - reopen the coalition agreement they negotiated, and 'VVD, NSC, and BBB were not willing to do this,' van Rij said. Now, the more likely outcome is a snap election, she said. Leaders of the coalition parties hammered Wilders for his decision on Tuesday. BBB President Caroline van der Plas said in a statement that many of Wilders's desired changes were on the table and had the necessary support - 'it's just a matter of doing it.' 'Anyone who stops now will hand the Netherlands over to the left on a silver platter,' she said. VVD President Dilan Yesilgozaccused Wilders of putting 'his own interests above the interests of our country' by 'walking away … in a time of unprecedented uncertainty.' 'This wasn't about migration. Everything that could be done, we were already going to do,' she added, blaming the inaction on 'blundering' by Wilders's party. NSC leader Nicolien van Vroonhoven called Wilders 'irresponsible' and said, 'we could have achieved a lot - especially when it comes to stricter migration policies.'
DW
29-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
Poland's presidential election sees candidates neck and neck – DW – 05/28/2025
With only days to go until the runoff in Poland's presidential election, candidates Rafal Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki are vying for the support of undecided voters. Just four days out from the decisive second round of Poland's presidential election, it is still all to play for: Candidates Rafal Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki are neck and neck. The most recent opinion poll published by IBRIS on Monday put liberal-conservative, pro-European candidate Rafal Trzaskowski at 45.7% and his national-conservative, Euroskeptic rival, Karol Nawrocki, at 44.9%, with 7.8% still undecided. A different institute put both candidates at 47% on Friday, May 23. This means that the two rival camps in this election — the center-left ruling coalition headed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk of the Civic Platform (PO) party and the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski — are now fighting tooth and nail for every undecided voter. Poles rally ahead of presidential runoff To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the first round of the presidential election on May 18, Trzaskowski got 31.36% of the vote ahead of Nawrocki's 29.54% — a much tighter margin than anticipated. Trzaskowski's 'March of Patriots' In an attempt to win over new voters, Trzaskowski, who has been mayor of the capitalWarsaw since 2018, invited Poles to take part in the "March of Patriots" in the capital on Sunday. The leaders of all parties in Tusk's ruling coalition gave him their backing at the huge rally. "Rafal, win this election for us and change Poland," said Szymon Holownia, speaker of the Polish parliament and member of the Christian Democratic Poland 2050 party. "We are choosing between a brown and a colorful Poland," said Magdalena Biejat of the New Left party and called on Poles to vote for Trzaskowski. Both Holownia and Biejat were knocked out in the first round of the presidential election. The gloves are off The prime minister himself demonstrated that the tone in this election campaign has become rougher. In a reference to Nawrocki's past, Tusk warned that "common gangsters" were reaching for power. Nawrocki, a former boxer who once earned a living as a bouncer, had contacts in the underworld and the ultras scene. It was recently reported that he once took part in an arranged mass brawl between militant fans of two rival soccer clubs. Candidate Trzaskowski also cautioned against putting Poland in the hands of a "muscle man." Support from Romania's president-elect Guest of honor at Sunday's "March of Patriots" was Romania's President-elect Nicusor Dan. Romanian President-elect Nicusor Dan (pictured here in Bucharest after polls closed on May 18) was in Warsaw at the weekend to support Rafal Trzaskowski Image: Andreea Alexandru/AP Photo/picture alliance "A week ago, Romania was the winner; in a week's time, Poland will be the winner," he said in Polish to loud applause. Dan offered Trzaskowski close cooperation between the two countries inside the EU. At the end of the rally, Trzaskowski pledged that he would "drive" the government to swift reforms. He also said that Poland now needs a "new moonshot," adding that it was his intention that Poland would overtake the strongest countries in Europe. After the parliamentary election in October 2023, many voters turned away from the pro-European government led by Donald Tusk because he was unable to implement most of his election promises. The outgoing national-conservative president, Andrzej Duda, has blocked corresponding laws. According to Warsaw's city authorities, about 140,000 people took part in the Trzaskowski rally. His team put the figure at half a million. Nawrocki promises a 'Great Poland' Nawrocki's "March for Poland," which was intended to be a rival event to Trzaskowski's rally, took place at the same time and just a few hundred meters away. The motto of the march, which saw Nawrocki, Kaczynski and other PiS politicians marching through the streets of the capital, was "Poland first." Karol Nawrocki, pictured here at a rally in Warsaw on Sunday, has the backing of the national-conservative PiS party Image: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Images Karol Nawrocki is a historian who has been head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance since July 2021. "A great, strong Poland is coming," he told the crowd that had gathered outside Warsaw's Royal Castle. The national-conservative candidate for the presidency invoked the "national community" he says is characterized by a "Christian identity" and promised a "secure Poland" without irregular immigrants. "I am one of you; someone just like you; I am your voice," he said. About 50,000 Nawrocki supporters took part in the march. Ultra-right disrupter seizes his opportunity While Trzaskowski and Nawrocki battle it out for the presidency, ultra-right politician Slawomir Mentzen is enjoying his role as kingmaker. Mentzen was eliminated from the race in the first round after coming third with almost 15% of votes. Just under three million voters, most of whom were young people, voted for the libertarian disrupter. Now Mentzen is trying to make political capital out of his unexpected success and give his Confederation Liberty and Independence party a head start for the 2027 parliamentary election. Mentzen invited both Trzaskowski and Nawrocki to join him on his YouTube channel for separate discussions based on an "eight-point plan" he had drawn up. The plan included pledges not to raise taxes, not to introduce the euro in Poland, not to transfer any new powers to the EU or not to allow Ukraine to join NATO. Different responses to Mentzen's plan Keen to court Mentzen's favor, Nawrocki signed the plan. Trzaskowski, on the other hand, refused to sign it after his debate with Mentzen on Saturday during which he put forward good arguments and demonstrated his full command of the situation and the issues at hand. Hard-right politician Slawomir Mentzen came third in the first round of Poland's presidential election Image: Attila Husejnow/Zumapress/picture alliance Nevertheless, Trzaskowski hopes that his confident performance will win over at least some of those who backed Mentzen in the first round of the election. By Sunday, just under 4.5 million people had watched the discussion. The news that Trzaskowski, Mentzen and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski drank beer together in a pub after the debate caused confusion in right-wing circles. Some spoke of treachery. Another controversy Trzaskowski also did well in Friday's televised debate on public broadcaster TVP. Here, Nawrocki committed a faux pas: He was seen holding his hand in front of his face and putting something in his mouth. He initially claimed that the substance in question was chewing gum. However, his campaign team later said that it was a pouch of tobacco, a stimulant known as "snus." Political scientist Anna Materska-Sosnowska is certain that the events of the weekend will have a considerable impact on the outcome of the election runoff. "Those who already have a firm opinion, will not be swayed. But it is about those who have not yet made up their mind and those who stayed at home on May 18 [the first round of the presidential election]," she told the Polish News Agency PAP. "This test of strength ended in a tie. Both sides showed that they can mobilize many people," said political scientist Olgierd Annusewicz of the weekend rallies, adding that "the duel continues. It is not possible to say that one of the two is currently ahead." "The mayor of Warsaw can be satisfied with his final sprint in this election campaign," wrote the newspaper Rzeczpospolita. "Whether he will also be satisfied with the outcome of the runoff will be seen on Sunday." This article was originally written in German.
DW
28-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
Polish presidential election: candidates neck and neck – DW – 05/28/2025
With only days to go until the runoff in Poland's presidential election, candidates Rafal Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki are vying for the support of undecided voters. Just four days out from the decisive second round of Poland's presidential election, it is still all to play for: Candidates Rafal Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki are neck and neck. The most recent opinion poll published by IBRIS on Monday put liberal-conservative, pro-European candidate Rafal Trzaskowski at 45.7% and his national-conservative, Euroskeptic rival, Karol Nawrocki, at 44.9%, with 7.8% still undecided. A different institute put both candidates at 47% last Friday. This means that the two rival camps in this election — the center-left ruling coalition headed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk of the Civic Platform (PO) party and the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski — are now fighting tooth and nail for every undecided voter. Poles rally ahead of presidential runoff To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the first round of the presidential election on May 18, Trzaskowski got 31.36% of the vote ahead of Nawrocki's 29.54% — a much tighter margin than anticipated. Trzaskowski's 'March of Patriots' In an attempt to win over new voters, Trzaskowski, who has been mayor of Warsaw since 2018, invited Poles to take part in the "March of Patriots" in the capital on Sunday. The leaders of all parties in Tusk's ruling coalition gave him their backing at the huge rally. "Rafal, win this election for us and change Poland," said Szymon Holownia, speaker of the Polish parliament and member of the Christian Democratic Poland 2050 party. "We are choosing between a brown and a colorful Poland," said Magdalena Biejat of the New Left party and called on Poles to vote for Trzaskowski. Both Holownia and Biejat were knocked out in the first round of the presidential election. The gloves are off The prime minister himself demonstrated that the tone in this election campaign has become rougher. In a reference to Nawrocki's past, Tusk warned that "common gangsters" were reaching for power. Nawrocki, a former boxer who once earned a living as a bouncer, had contacts in the underworld and the ultras scene. It was recently reported that he once took part in an arranged mass brawl between militant fans of two rival soccer clubs. Candidate Trzaskowski also cautioned against putting Poland in the hands of a "muscle man." Support from Romania's president-elect Guest of honor at Sunday's "March of Patriots" was Romania's President-elect Nicusor Dan. Romanian President-elect Nicusor Dan (pictured here in Bucharest after polls closed on May 18) was in Warsaw at the weekend to support Rafal Trzaskowski Image: Andreea Alexandru/AP Photo/picture alliance "A week ago, Romania was the winner; in a week's time, Poland will be the winner," he said in Polish to loud applause. Dan offered Trzaskowski close cooperation between the two countries inside the EU. At the end of the rally, Trzaskowski pledged that he would "drive" the government to swift reforms. He also said that Poland now needs a "new moonshot," adding that it was his intention that Poland would overtake the strongest countries in Europe. After the parliamentary election in October 2023, many voters turned away from the pro-European government led by Donald Tusk because he was unable to implement most of his election promises. The outgoing national-conservative president, Andrzej Duda, has blocked corresponding laws. According to Warsaw's city authorities, about 140,000 people took part in the Trzaskowski rally. His team put the figure at half a million. Nawrocki promises a 'Great Poland' Nawrocki's "March for Poland," which was intended to be a rival event to Trzaskowski's rally, took place at the same time and just a few hundred meters away. The motto of the march, which saw Nawrocki, Kaczynski and other PiS politicians marching through the streets of the capital, was "Poland first." Karol Nawrocki, pictured here at a rally in Warsaw on Sunday, has the backing of the national-conservative PiS party Image: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Images Karol Nawrocki is a historian who has been head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance since July 2021. "A great, strong Poland is coming," he told the crowd that had gathered outside Warsaw's Royal Castle. The national-conservative candidate for the presidency invoked the "national community" he says is characterized by a "Christian identity" and promised a "secure Poland" without irregular immigrants. "I am one of you; someone just like you; I am your voice," he said. About 50,000 Nawrocki supporters took part in the march. Ultra-right disrupter seizes his opportunity While Trzaskowski and Nawrocki battle it out for the presidency, ultra-right politician Slawomir Mentzen is enjoying his role as kingmaker. Mentzen was eliminated from the race in the first round after coming third with almost 15% of votes. Just under three million voters, most of whom were young people, voted for the libertarian disrupter. Now Mentzen is trying to make political capital out of his unexpected success and give his Confederation Liberty and Independence party a head start for the 2027 parliamentary election. Mentzen invited both Trzaskowski and Nawrocki to join him on his YouTube channel for separate discussions based on an "eight-point plan" he had drawn up. The plan included pledges not to raise taxes, not to introduce the euro in Poland, not to transfer any new powers to the EU or not to allow Ukraine to join NATO. Different responses to Mentzen's plan Keen to court Mentzen's favor, Nawrocki signed the plan. Trzaskowski, on the other hand, refused to sign it after his debate with Mentzen on Saturday during which he put forward good arguments and demonstrated his full command of the situation and the issues at hand. Hard-right politician Slawomir Mentzen came third in the first round of Poland's presidential election Image: Attila Husejnow/Zumapress/picture alliance Nevertheless, Trzaskowski hopes that his confident performance will win over at least some of those who backed Mentzen in the first round of the election. By Sunday, just under 4.5 million people had watched the discussion. The news that Trzaskowski, Mentzen and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski drank beer together in a pub after the debate caused confusion in right-wing circles. Some spoke of treachery. Another controversy Trzaskowski also did well in Friday's televised debate on public broadcaster TVP. Here, Nawrocki committed a faux pas: He was seen holding his hand in front of his face and putting something in his mouth. He initially claimed that the substance in question was chewing gum. However, his campaign team later said that it was a pouch of tobacco, a stimulant known as "snus." Political scientist Anna Materska-Sosnowska is certain that the events of the weekend will have a considerable impact on the outcome of the election runoff. "Those who already have a firm opinion, will not be swayed. But it is about those who have not yet made up their mind and those who stayed at home on May 18 [the first round of the presidential election]," she told the Polish News Agency PAP. "This test of strength ended in a tie. Both sides showed that they can mobilize many people," said political scientist Olgierd Annusewicz of the weekend rallies, adding that "the duel continues. It is not possible to say that one of the two is currently ahead." "The mayor of Warsaw can be satisfied with his final sprint in this election campaign," wrote the newspaper Rzeczpospolita. "Whether he will also be satisfied with the outcome of the runoff will be seen on Sunday." This article was originally published in German.
Russia Today
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Romanian runner-up wants presidential vote nixed for ‘external interferences'
Right-wing EU critic George Simion has said he would challenge the result of Romania's presidential election, claiming it was compromised by 'foreign interference,' flagging France and Moldova in particular. Sunday's runoff saw pro-EU Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan defeat his Euroskeptic rival with 54% of the vote in the second round of Romania's presidential election. The rerun was ordered after Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the results of the November election, in which independent candidate Calin Georgescu, an EU and NATO critic, finished first with 23% of the vote. The authorities claimed that there had been 'irregularities' in his campaign, citing intelligence reports alleging Russian interference – allegations which Moscow has denied. In a Tuesday post on X, Simion – who had been the frontrunner – said he had 'officially' asked Romania's top court to annul Sunday's election result 'for the very reasons the December elections were annulled.' 🚨🇷🇴 I officially ask Constitutional Court TO ANNUL Romanian presidential elections (May 2025).For the very reasons December elections were annulled: EXTERNAL INTERFERENCES by state and non-state actors. This time proven with evidence! Neither 🇫🇷, nor 🇲🇩, nor anyone else has… He claimed that there was evidence of 'external interferences by state and non-state actors,' adding that 'Neither France nor Moldova nor anyone else has the right to interfere in the elections of another state.' Simion had previously claimed the electoral rolls contained some 1.7 million fictitious names and accused the government of busing in voters from neighboring Moldova. His Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) had also claimed that Moldova's pro-EU ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) had directed its million-strong diaspora in Romania to vote for Dan. Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who has claimed French intelligence tried to pressure him into censoring conservative Romanian channels ahead of Sunday's vote, reposted Simion's message, saying he is 'ready to come and testify if it helps Romanian democracy.' I'm ready to come and testify if it helps Romanian democracy. Paris has denied Durov's claim. Romanian officials, in turn, have accused Russia of interfering in the election without providing any proof. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed the accusations, calling the election 'strange' and asserting the most popular candidate had been 'forcibly' removed without justification. In response to Durov's remarks, he also cited what he called the EU's history of meddling in other countries' affairs. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also dismissed Bucharest's accusations, calling the latest vote illegitimate and saying Romanian officials should clean up their own 'electoral mess' instead of blaming others.
