The first round of the Romanian presidential elections, held on Sunday, November 24, upset the traditional political balances. Among the fourteen candidates in the running, an outsider unknown to the general public, Calin Georgescu, admirer of Vladimir Putin and critic of NATO and the European Union, defied all odds by coming first with 22.94% of the votes.
“Economic insecurity has transformed into political insecurity. “My victory reflects the awakening of a people tired of being humiliated.”declared, after the announcement of the results, this 62-year-old pedology engineer (science that studies soils), former special rapporteur for human rights at the UN, who claims to belong to the Orthodox Church, the majority in Romania. Obviously, his anti-system and sovereigntist speech resonated with many Romanians who were looking for alternatives. In any case, it represents a turn towards the extreme right in a country neighboring Ukraine at war.
Calin Georgescu’s advance generates concern within NATO, which considers Romania a strategic pillar for European defense. The country, which has 19 million inhabitants, is home to several bases of the Atlantic Alliance. More than a thousand French soldiers are deployed on its territory, which houses a US anti-missile shield.
Backhand to the left
In the context of the war in Ukraine, the past statements of Calin Georgescu, openly critical of NATO, are a cause for concern. “The anti-missile shield is a shame. This is not a defense, but a policy of confrontation. “It will not bring us peace.” This is what he denounced in 2021. This position radically contrasts with Bucharest’s current line.
His victory in the first round of the presidential elections was also praised by the Russian press, as was the international information agency Ria Novosti, cited by the newspaper Kommersantwho writes: “Mr Georgescu’s progress is a surprise. NATO membership does not guarantee Romania’s security. »
Calin Georgescu is not alone. George Simion, leader of the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), obtained 13.87% of the votes. At 38, he became known for his nationalist speeches and his meteoric political rise. Member of Parliament since 2020, he proposed Calin Georgescu as prime minister in the midst of a government crisis.
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