By Satyaki Chakraborty
Donald Trump got a jolt in the latest national elections in Canada and Australia, but in Europe, pro-Trump George Simion, the leader of the far right alliance AUR won in the first round of Romanian Presidential elections held on Sunday May 4 getting 40.5 per cent of the votes as against the second placed Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan who got 20.89 per cent. The third candidate, the ruling coalition’s Crin Antonsu got 20.34 per cent. Simion will now be fighting against Nicusor Dan in the final round of elections scheduled for May 18.
George Simion campaigned in the election focusing on his plank of no aid to Ukraine by the EU and also how the European Union leaders were failing to stand by the comparatively weak economies. He declared himself as a natural ally of Donald Trump. During the pandemic, like Trump, he took a position against the vaccines. Running the campaign on ultranationalist lines, Simion said after his first round victory “This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory for Romanian dignity. It is a victory for those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected sovereign country”.
It is recalled that the present election was a follow up of a regular elections held few months ago when the pro-Moscow Calin Georgescu won but the Romanian top court annulled the poll outcome on the plea that declassified intelligence documents showed a Russian intervention in the elections. Following investigations, he was barred from contesting in the fresh elections which took place on Sunday. Georgescu however cast his ballot on Sunday polls but a bitter Georgescu told newsmen the rerun was a fraud orchestrated by those who have made deceit the only state policy.
Romania is a member of both EU and NATO. The country has border with Ukraine. If Simion finally wins on May 18 final round elections, there is every possibility that he will follow Trump policies in EU and make consensus building in EU meetings difficult. Bot Trump and J D Vance monitored the Romanian elections closely. Vance openly supported Simion during the campaign.
Anti-establishment sentiment is running high in Romania, where median household income is one-third of the EU average. More than 30% of the country’s 19 million people are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, and nearly 20% of the workforce is working abroad. The unemployment crisis is forcing the Romanian youth to go abroad. The despair of the younger sections at the ruling coalition has drifted them towards the far right populism of Simion just like many other countries of Europe including Germany. The centrists and the centre right are losing ground to the emerging far right.
Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR), is running on an independent, pro-EU “Honest Romania” ticket. He said he voted “for hope and a new beginning” for Romania. It is not sure whether Dan can come on an agreement with other anti-Simion forces to offer a united front against the far right candidate, but if he is successful in that, the fight will be stiff on May 18’s final round.
Antonescu, 65, whose presidential run is backed by the ruling Social Democratic party (PSD) and the centre-right National Liberal party (PNL), said he was voting for “a united Romania, for a strong Romania, for a dignified Romania”. But the ruling coalition is suffering from anti-incumbency, so Antonescu could not even the second place, so he is not there in the ballot for the final round.
Romania held parliamentary elections in December last year with Simion’s AUR and other far-right groups winning 35% of seats. If Simion wins on May 18, as a President, he can be in a commanding position with the largest group of parliamentarians in his favour, though he will not have majority. Every Romanian is looking at the outcome of May 18 elections. (IPA Service)
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