Why a Nazi supporting Putin became the frontrunner in Romania’s presidential election
As one of my Romanian colleagues wrote, "A black swan landed on the frozen lake and performed a ballet."
In Romania’s presidential election, this "black swan" turned out to be Călin Georgescu, an "independent candidate" (self-nominated without party backing). Not only did he unexpectedly join the leading contenders, but he also secured first place in the first round.
Georgescu now moves to the runoff, likely facing the pro-European candidate Elena Lasconi, representing the Save Romania Union.
Read more to understand why Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner and why this election shocked Romania in the op-ed by Serhii Herasymchuk, a Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism expert – Romania against the West? Could a pro-Russian populist become president.
Georgescu openly positions himself as far-right. So far that the op-ed calls him "brown" in reference to Nazi symbolism.
"This is no exaggeration, as Georgescu openly glorifies the era when Romania allied with Nazi Germany under dictator Antonescu, whom he considers a 'martyr,'" writes Herasymchuk.
Georgescu also criticises NATO and the EU, opposes the presence of American military bases in Romania, and claims Russia’s war against Ukraine is the result of a conspiracy by US arms manufacturers.
"Compared to the first-round winner, even the 'local eccentric' Diana Șoșoacă (a controversial MEP disqualified from the race by court ruling) seems moderate and restrained," notes Herasymchuk with disbelief.
Herasymchuk suggests that Georgescu’s support largely comes from protest voters dissatisfied with the grand coalition of mainstream parties: the Social Democrats (whose candidate was current Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu) and the National Liberals (whose candidate was former Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă).
This protest electorate saw the word "independent" on the ballot and cast their vote for Georgescu. The phenomenon is somewhat reminiscent of Germany, where frustration with the grand coalition of Social and Christian Democrats has driven voters toward Alternative for Germany.
Although Romanian voters could have chosen other independent alternatives, such as Mircea Geoană or Elena Lasconi, Herasymchuk explains that these candidates were targeted most heavily by attacks from mainstream political parties.
The op-ed emphasises that there is no immediate reason to panic, as Romania’s political system is likely to deploy all its mechanisms to prevent such a polarising figure from winning.
"However, this outcome is not just a warning. It's an alarm," warns Herasymchuk.
The author observes that while mainstream political forces engage in infighting and undercut each other, "dark companions" of the electorate are gaining the upper hand, propelling their leaders toward victory.
"If Europe faces a major war, it approaches it dangerously weakened," concludes Herasymchuk.