Latest news with #SaveRomaniaUnion
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Romania's new president faces daunting challenges after surprise victory over far-right upstart
There was a wave of euphoria and relief across Europe following the election of pro-European liberal Nicusor Dan as Romania's new president. 'For Ukraine — as a neighbour and friend — it is important to have Romania as a reliable partner. And we are confident we will,' said President Volodymyr Zelensky after Dan's victory. Moldovan President Maia Sandu echoed the sentiment: 'Congratulations, dear Nicusor Dan,' she said with visible enthusiasm. The presidential runoff was closely watched in Kyiv and Chisinau, as Dan faced off against George Simion, a Russia-linked nationalist banned from entering both Moldova and Ukraine. Dan's victory, with 53.6% of the vote, surprised many observers. He overcame a significant 20-point deficit from the first round and secured an additional 4.3 million votes in the second round. Voter turnout exceeded 64%, the highest recorded since 1996, reflecting a highly mobilized electorate. Read also: Poland, Romania presidential elections held amid Russian interference, far-right surge — what you need to know A former mathematician and Sorbonne PhD, Nicusor Dan began his political ascent as an anti-corruption activist in Bucharest. After a failed attempt to run for mayor in 2012, he entered local politics in 2016, placing second in the mayoral race and securing council seats for his new political movement — the Save Bucharest Union. That same year, the Save Bucharest Union evolved into the Save Romania Union (USR), which would become a key player in Romanian politics. However, Dan's liberalism had its limits, he left the party a year later after refusing to support equal rights for same-sex couples. Running as an independent, Dan won the Bucharest mayoral election in 2020 and was re-elected in 2024. Now, he makes the short journey — just a 40-minute walk — from Bucharest City Hall to the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. Despite the enthusiasm from European officials, experts warn that Dan faces immediate and formidable challenges. There will be 'no honeymoon,' Romanian journalist Cătălin Tolontan warned. 'Dan has to form a government immediately to manage the country during a time that all economists say is of crisis,' said journalist Magda Gradinaru in an interview with the Kyiv Independent, referring to Romania's rising inflation and growing budget deficit. Beyond economic instability, Dan is expected to deliver on promises of institutional reform and anti-corruption efforts. His stated priorities include fixing the budget deficit, bolstering national security, and restoring public trust in government. Dan's victory also highlighted the weakening legitimacy of Romania's mainstream political parties. 'We had a vote that broke the legitimacy of the mainstream parties,' Gradinaru said. 'These parties will try to preserve the status quo during coalition negotiations.' Some believe that if acting President Ilie Bolojan of the National Liberal Party becomes prime minister, he could consolidate enough parliamentary support. But others are less optimistic. Journalist Sabina Fati pointed out that Dan's outsider image and anti-establishment rhetoric might complicate efforts to build a governing majority. 'Dan said last night that 'Romania needs new people in politics.' That will make negotiations harder,' she noted. 'If the Social Democratic Party — the largest in parliament with over 25% of seats — does not support him, his presidency may suffer from a deficit of credibility.' Notably, the Social Democrats abstained from formally endorsing Dan during the runoff. Dan has promised to reduce political polarization and expressed 'respect' for those who hold different opinions. However, it remains unclear how he plans to regain the trust of citizens who voted for the far-right. While many voters expressed hope for better wages and pensions, left-wing voices have criticized the dominance of neoliberal policies in Romanian politics, calling instead for progressive taxation and affordable housing. Political scientist Vladimir Bortun, from Oxford University, underscored the urgency of addressing social inequality. Despite recent economic growth, Romania remains among the most unequal countries in the EU, with 28% of the population at risk of poverty and another 17% experiencing severe material deprivation. 'Despite successive increases in the minimum wage over the past decade, the median wage is barely over five euros an hour — about one-third of the EU average,' Bortun wrote in The New York Times. Gradinaru believes the country needs a wide-reaching debate about national unity, not just political dialogue. 'We need administrative reform and access to education, healthcare, social services, and culture for the socially vulnerable. These are the building blocks of a strong middle class — one that is more resilient to internal and external threats.' Journalist Ioana Dogioiu offered a sobering warning: if reforms don't come soon, 'this might be the last time Romania dodges a bullet.' We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Romanians vote in presidential redo following voided election
Romanians abroad have been able to vote since Friday. Romania's political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped the polls in the first-round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied. A man exits a voting booth before casting his vote in the first round of the presidential election redo in Bucharest, Romania (Vadim Ghirda/AP) Like many countries in the EU, anti-establishment sentiment is running high in Romania, fuelled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Mr Georgescu, who is under investigation and barred from the rerun. While data from local surveys should be taken with caution, a median of polls suggests that hard-right nationalist George Simion will enter the run-off, likely pitting him against Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, or the governing coalition's candidate, Crin Antonescu. At a polling station in the capital Bucharest, Mr Simion appeared on Sunday morning alongside Mr Georgescu and told reporters: 'We are here with one mission only: the return to constitutional order, the return to democracy. I have no other goal than first place for the Romanian people.' Mr Georgescu called the vote rerun 'a fraud orchestrated by those who have made deceit the only state policy', but added that he was there to 'acknowledge the power of democracy, the power of the vote that frightens the system, that terrifies the system'. Mr Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party in 2016, is running on a pro-EU 'Honest Romania' ticket. After casting his ballot, he said he voted 'for hope and a new beginning' for Romania. 'I voted with realism, because Romania is going through a difficult time,' he added. Veteran centrist Mr Antonescu, 65, who campaigned on retaining Romania's pro-western orientation, said on Sunday morning that he voted for 'a united Romania, for a strong Romania, for a dignified Romania'. George Simion, right, casts his vote next to Calin Georgescu (Vadim Ghirda/AP) Mr Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, is running on a pro-EU 'Honest Romania' ticket. He says Romania needs a president 'who has the will and the ability to reform the system'. Veteran centrist Mr Antonescu, 65, has campaigned on retaining Romania's pro-Western orientation, while Victor Ponta, a former prime minister between 2012 and 2015, has also pushed a Maga-style 'Romania First' campaign and boasts of having close ties to the Trump administration. Another hopeful, Elena Lasconi, came second in last year's first-round ballot and is participating in the rerun. She has positioned herself as a staunchly pro-Western, anti-system candidate, railing against what she describes as a corrupt political class. Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially for those who voted for Mr Georgescu, a sizeable electorate that Mr Simion has sought to tap into. 'The anti-establishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement, but is against the people who destroyed this country,' Mr Simion, who came fourth in last year's race and later backed Mr Georgescu, told The Associated Press. 'We are not a democratic state anymore.' Mr Simion said that his hard-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) party is 'perfectly aligned with the Maga movement', capitalising on a growing wave of populism in Europe after US President Donald Trump's political comeback. AUR rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election, proclaims to stand for 'family, nation, faith, and freedom', and has since doubled its support. The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances, which have become strained since the cancelled election fiasco. The decision to annul the election and the ban on Mr Georgescu's candidacy drew criticism from US vice president JD Vance, Elon Musk and Russia, which publicly supported his candidacy in the rerun. The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy.
Bloomberg
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Bucharest Mayor Wins Opposition Party's Support for Romania Vote
Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan clinched the backing of a Romanian opposition party for next month's presidential election, in a boost for the pro-European candidate who's seen as having the best shot against the poll-leading nationalist politician. The Save Romania Union opposition group has endorsed Dan, an independent, over its own leader, Elena Lasconi, deputy party leader Dominic Fritz told reporters on Wednesday.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is Calin Georgescu, the far-right populist being investigated by prosecutors in Romania?
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — He shook Romania's political landscape in November when he secured the first round in the presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister. Calin Georgescu, a little-known, far-right populist, clinched the most votes and advanced to the second round to face off against reformist Elena Lasconi of the progressive Save Romania Union party. The surprising outcome left many political observers wondering how most local surveys were off, putting Georgescu behind at least five other candidates. A top court then made the unprecedented move to annul the election after allegations emerged of electoral violations and Russian interference. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. On Wednesday, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against Georgescu, accusing him of election campaign funding abuses, supporting fascist groups and other offenses. The new elections have been rescheduled for May, and it isn't clear if Georgescu can participate in the vote. Who is Calin Georgescu? Born in Bucharest in 1962, Georgescu holds a doctorate in pedology, a branch of soil science, and held different positions in Romania's environment ministry in the 1990s, according to his website. Between 1999 and 2012, he was a representative for Romania on the national committee of the United Nations Environment Program. Once a member of Romania's far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, Georgescu left the party in 2022 after a period of infighting. He was accused by colleagues of being pro-Russian and critical of NATO, the U.S.-led military alliance to which Romania belongs. He supports the Romanian Orthodox Church and has sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes. He has also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as 'a man who loves his country' and called Ukraine 'an invented state,' but he claims not to be pro-Russian. He is married with three sons. A social media sensation? Many observers attributed Georgescu's success to his TikTok account, which has 4.3 million likes and 679,000 followers. He gained huge traction and popularity in the weeks leading up to the first election round. According to a report by Expert Forum, a Bucharest-based think tank, Georgescu's TikTok account has had an explosion which it said appeared "sudden and artificial, similar to his polling results.' On Nov. 18, his TikTok account garnered 92.8 million views primarily within the last two months, the report states, a figure that grew by 52 million views a week later, just days before the first-round vote. 'The most visible theme pushed by Calin Georgescu on TikTok in the last two months is peace, more precisely the need for Romania to stop supporting Ukraine in order not to involve Romania in war,' the report stated. After his first-round victory, another TikTok account solely featuring Geogescu content, which had 1.7 million likes, appeared to have been deleted. It had posts with Georgescu attending church, doing judo, running around an oval track, and speaking on podcasts. How did Georgescu rise from obscurity and do so well? Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said after Georgescu's unexpected poll performance that it had less to do with his appeal and more to do with voters growing tired of an out-of-touch political class. 'He's just a guy who managed to use the social networks to make himself visible in a void for many Romanians who lost contact with political parties, at least with the elites in Bucharest,' he said. 'The mainstream political parties have lost the ability to use these new platforms.' He added that politicians from Romania's traditional parties had lacked messages of hope and no clear vision for their country ahead of the vote. Where does Georgescu stand? His positions include supporting Romanian farmers, reducing import dependence, and ramping up local energy and food production. He also wants to establish a 'sovereign' distribution model allegedly based on participatory democracy in which 'Truth, Freedom and Sovereignty are the axes of values' in Romania's development. On foreign policy, he has cast skepticism on both NATO and the European Union, to which Romania belongs. In an interview with The Associated Press in December, Geogrescu said Romania's Western alliances remain secure, providing they 'serve the sovereignty of the country and nothing else.' He is also a self-professed Donald Trump supporter, saying the U.S. president 'knows what he wants, he loves his people, he put America first, just like I put Romania first ... we have the same ideology.'
The Hill
26-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Who is Calin Georgescu, the far-right populist being investigated by prosecutors in Romania?
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — He shook Romania's political landscape in November when he secured the first round in the presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister. Calin Georgescu, a little-known, far-right populist, clinched the most votes and advanced to the second round to face off against reformist Elena Lasconi of the progressive Save Romania Union party. The surprising outcome left many political observers wondering how most local surveys were off, putting Georgescu behind at least five other candidates. A top court then made the unprecedented move to annul the election after allegations emerged of electoral violations and Russian interference. On Wednesday, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against Georgescu, accusing him of election campaign funding abuses, supporting fascist groups and other offenses. The new elections have been rescheduled for May, and it isn't clear if Georgescu can participate in the vote. Who is Calin Georgescu? Born in Bucharest in 1962, Georgescu holds a doctorate in pedology, a branch of soil science, and held different positions in Romania's environment ministry in the 1990s, according to his website. Between 1999 and 2012, he was a representative for Romania on the national committee of the United Nations Environment Program. Once a member of Romania's far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, Georgescu left the party in 2022 after a period of infighting. He was accused by colleagues of being pro-Russian and critical of NATO, the U.S.-led military alliance to which Romania belongs. He supports the Romanian Orthodox Church and has sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes. He has also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as 'a man who loves his country' and called Ukraine 'an invented state,' but he claims not to be pro-Russian. He is married with three sons. A social media sensation? Many observers attributed Georgescu's success to his TikTok account, which has 4.3 million likes and 679,000 followers. He gained huge traction and popularity in the weeks leading up to the first election round. According to a report by Expert Forum, a Bucharest-based think tank, Georgescu's TikTok account has had an explosion which it said appeared 'sudden and artificial, similar to his polling results.' On Nov. 18, his TikTok account garnered 92.8 million views primarily within the last two months, the report states, a figure that grew by 52 million views a week later, just days before the first-round vote. 'The most visible theme pushed by Calin Georgescu on TikTok in the last two months is peace, more precisely the need for Romania to stop supporting Ukraine in order not to involve Romania in war,' the report stated. After his first-round victory, another TikTok account solely featuring Geogescu content, which had 1.7 million likes, appeared to have been deleted. It had posts with Georgescu attending church, doing judo, running around an oval track, and speaking on podcasts. How did Georgescu rise from obscurity and do so well? Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said after Georgescu's unexpected poll performance that it had less to do with his appeal and more to do with voters growing tired of an out-of-touch political class. 'He's just a guy who managed to use the social networks to make himself visible in a void for many Romanians who lost contact with political parties, at least with the elites in Bucharest,' he said. 'The mainstream political parties have lost the ability to use these new platforms.' He added that politicians from Romania's traditional parties had lacked messages of hope and no clear vision for their country ahead of the vote. Where does Georgescu stand? His positions include supporting Romanian farmers, reducing import dependence, and ramping up local energy and food production. He also wants to establish a 'sovereign' distribution model allegedly based on participatory democracy in which 'Truth, Freedom and Sovereignty are the axes of values' in Romania's development. On foreign policy, he has cast skepticism on both NATO and the European Union, to which Romania belongs. In an interview with The Associated Press in December, Geogrescu said Romania's Western alliances remain secure, providing they 'serve the sovereignty of the country and nothing else.' He is also a self-professed Donald Trump supporter, saying the U.S. president 'knows what he wants, he loves his people, he put America first, just like I put Romania first … we have the same ideology.'
