The article discusses the outcome of Romania’s presidential elections in 2025, where pro-Western candidate Marcel Vela won with a clear margin. The election was marred by controversy and far-right nationalist sentiment, which had been fueled by the previous ban on the initial winner, Călin Georgescu.
Georgescu, who had promised to curtail aid to Ukraine, ban Ukrainian grain transit, and partition Ukraine, was disqualified from participating in the repeat elections after the Constitutional Court annulled the results amid suspicions of connections to Moscow and vote manipulation on TikTok.
His supporters, including George Simion, leader of Romania’s far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party, had hoped that he would win the election. However, Vela emerged victorious, winning 52% of the votes in the second round of elections.
Simion’s campaign emphasized religious themes and portrayed him as a Christian patriot defending traditional values against the “liberal, secular West.” He had promised to give Georgescu a leadership position if elected, but ultimately lost to Vela.
The article notes that Simion refrained from organizing protests after the results were announced, likely due to the clear margin of defeat and the lack of external support. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also avoided supporting Simion, while the White House did not provide him with the expected support.
The controversy surrounding the election began when Călin Georgescu was banned from participating in the repeat elections. His supporters had emphasized that Romania should prioritize its own interests and happiness over commitments to NATO or other allies, rejecting the obligation to spend 2% of GDP on defense.
The article concludes by noting that Georgescu made a public statement after the election, urging his supporters not to despair and calling for reconciliation. He encouraged them to “forgive each other, embrace each other, help each other, and pray for each other unceasingly.”
