Latest news with #VictorPonta
Bloomberg
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Romanian Candidate Brandishes Trump Messaging in Presidency Bid
A Romanian presidential contender echoed warnings from Donald Trump's administration that Sunday's election must refrain from 'censoring opponents,' laying bare how the US president looms over the Black Sea nation's contentious ballot. Former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has positioned himself as a staunch Trump ally in the contest for Romania's presidency, said Washington needs reassurance that the country's democratic standards meet its expectations. He called a message posted by the US Embassy in Bucharest a 'clear warning' to Romanian authorities.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Romanian presidential candidate Dan backs further support for Ukraine
Supporting Ukraine in its fights against Russia's full-scale war is essential for Romania's security, Romanian presidential candidate and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan said in an interview with Reuters published on April 24. "I want to underline that the war in Ukraine is essential for the security of Romania and Moldova," Dan said. "I appreciate what the Romanian state has done so far, the direction... was correct and must continue." Throughout the war, Romania, a NATO member, signed a security agreement with Ukraine, backed sanctions against Russia, and sent Kyiv a Patriot air defense system. Bucharest has also played a crucial role in the transit of Ukrainian agricultural exports amid Russia's threats to the Black Sea maritime trade. Dan believes that Romania should continue to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain, but it should consult with Romanian producers to ensure they are not put at a disadvantage. Romanian farmers asked the government last year to push for import limits on Ukrainian agricultural products, protesting the economic impacts of an EU free trade agreement that has sparked worries about uneven competition and risks to domestic production. Dan, 55, was elected mayor of Bucharest in 2020 with support from center-right parties. Known for his background as a mathematician and civic activist, Dan founded the Save Bucharest Union, which evolved into the reformist USR party, a political movement with an anti-corruption platform. Romania's presidential elections were scheduled for a re-run on May 4. The November vote was annulled due to allegations of Russian interference favoring far-right candidate Calin Georgescu. Georgescu was barred from participating in the presidential election re-run. George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), who is banned from entering Ukraine over "anti-Ukrainian activities," is currently leading the polls. Opinion surveys show that Dan is competing for second place with Crin Antonescu, a centrist backed by the ruling coalition, and Victor Ponta, a nationalist ex-prime minister. Read also: Presidential candidate Victor Ponta vows to end Ukrainian grain exports via Romania if elected We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Presidential candidate Victor Ponta vows to end Ukrainian grain exports via Romania if elected
If elected president, former Prime Minister Victor Ponta told Reuters he will ban the export of Ukrainian grain through the country's Black Sea ports to protect local farmers. Bucharest plays a crucial role in Ukrainian exports amid Russia's threats to the Black Sea maritime trade, shipping around 29 million tones of Ukraine's produce. "There has been a policy of favoring Ukrainian grain in terms of access to port facilities in recent years, at the detriment of Romanian grain, and Romanian farmers were greatly affected by it," Ponta said. In 2024, Romanian farmers asked the government to advocate for import limits on Ukrainian agriculture products, protesting the economic impacts of a free trade agreement that have sparked worries about uneven competition and risks to domestic production. Yet, the presidential candidate said that he would support other measures already in place to support Ukraine, including weapons transit and training for Ukrainian pilots. He said that Romania can defend neighboring Moldova in case of a Russian attack but could not do so for Ukraine or any other country. In light of President Donald Trump's U-turn in foreign policy, Ponta said that he backs "radical change" taking place in the U.S. The re-run of Romania's presidential elections is set for May 8 after the scheduled vote in November was annulled due to allegations of Russian interference favoring far-right candidate Calin Georgescu. He was barred from participating in the presidential election re-run. Victor Ponta, 52, served as a Romanian prime minister between 2012-2015, representing the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He resigned after public outrage over a deadly nightclub fire. An opinion poll conducted by polling institute Verifield showed that Ponta has a chance to enter the run-off facing far-right candidate George Simion. Read also: As Russia refuses to accept ceasefire, will Trump pressure Moscow? We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Reuters
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Presidential hopeful Ponta says will end Ukrainian grain exports via Romania
BUCHAREST, April 7 (Reuters) - Romanian presidential candidate Victor Ponta said on Monday he would stop Ukrainian grain exports via the country's Black Sea ports if elected to protect local farmer, but pledged to defend neighbouring Moldova in case of a Russian attack. Romania, a European Union and NATO member state, will hold a re-run of a presidential election in May, after a December vote was cancelled over accusations of Russian meddling, which Moscow denies. Bucharest's role in NATO and the EU, as well as its aid to neighbouring Ukraine are in the spotlight. Romania's president has a semi-executive role, which includes chairing the council that decides on military aid and defence spending, and can veto European Union votes that require unanimity. Ponta, 52, is a former leftist prime minister whose politics have turned ultranationalist. According to opinion polls, he has a chance of making it into the run-off vote, alongside hard right opposition leader George Simion, the replacement candidate for the banned far-right frontrunner in the cancelled vote. Romania has helped to export roughly 29 million tons of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta in the three years since Moscow's invasion, becoming Ukraine's main alternative route out. "There has been a policy of favouring Ukrainian grain in terms of access to port facilities in recent years, at the detriment of Romanian grain, and Romanian farmers were greatly affected by it," Ponta told Reuters in an interview. He said he would uphold other measures already in effect to support Ukraine, including the transit of weapons and the training of Ukrainian pilots. Ponta, who quit as prime minister in 2015 after a deadly nightclub fire, and whose first presidential bid in 2014 was thwarted by his government's bureaucratic hurdles to voting by Romanians abroad, said he backs what he calls "radical change" taking place in the United States. The cancellation of December's election has placed Romania at the centre of a dispute between Europe and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration over free speech and suppressing political opponents. "We must just be pragmatic and understand that in Washington things have changed fundamentally, and ... that we can have a relationship based on different criteria: pragmatism, common interest and military collaboration," Ponta said. "Thank God I play golf, and thank God I don't beat President Trump at it. He beats me, barely, but he beats me." He said he would support increasing Romanian defence spending to over 3% of economic output in 2026, from a planned 2.5% this year, and said he would focus on building up the flagship Mihail Kogalniceanu military air base, which hosts American troops. Ponta said his "Romania first" approach in the EU and NATO would focus on supporting EU accession for Moldova and the Western Balkans, as well as focusing on strategic partnerships with Poland and Turkey, the main military power in the Black Sea. "I believe Romania can support Moldova in case of aggression," he said. "Realistically, Romania cannot support another country, be it Ukraine or another. But it has the capacity to do that for Moldova." Ponta also said he did not support the introduction of civil unions for same sex couples.
Bloomberg
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Romanian Ex-PM Risks Upending Bid to Block Far-Right Candidate
A former Romanian prime minister said he'll enter a contentious presidential race, potentially jeopardizing an effort to unite behind a single candidate and defeat a far-right frontrunner. Victor Ponta, a one-time leader of the ruling Social Democrats who resigned a decade ago amid public outrage over a nightclub fire, said in an interview that he would campaign as an independent on the Donald Trump-like slogan 'Romania first.'
