The Romanian reformist forces are teaming up around the centre-right candidate Elena Lasconi to prevent the exponent of the radical right Calin Georgescu from winning the presidential elections. The Liberals, now in government with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), have expressly instructed their voters to support the “pro-European option” while the Social Democrats have not yet expressed their opinion. However, it is likely that to avoid what they consider to be the ‘worst evil’ they may also decide to support Lasconi in the run-off to be held on 8 December.
Evolution
Georgescu’s victory in the first round of the Romanian presidential elections shocked everyone. Georgescu obtained 23 percent of the votes, followed by Lasconi with 19. No one expected that the current prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu (PSD), would even be excluded from the ballot and came in third place. His party, currently in government, has made it known that it will decide who to support only after the parliamentary elections to be held at the weekend. “For now, PSD supporters should vote PSD on Sunday,” said Mihai Tudose, a member of the Social Democrats and a member of the European Parliament.
Romania is a country of 19 million inhabitants, a member of the European Union and NATO and bordering the attacked Ukraine. It is clear that a potential far-right president like Georgescu, skeptical of Romania’s participation in NATO, considered close to Vladimir Putin and against sending weapons to Ukraine, worries the European allies.
“Independence from Russia and a Euro-Atlantic path were our dream in December 1989 and it is the dream that we must defend today,” said Lasconi, leader of the pro-EU Save Romania Union (USR), to hundreds of supporters in Bucharest, referring to the uprising that overthrew communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu 35 years ago. “In the next two weeks, we have an existential fight for Romania’s democracy,” he added.
Young people in the square
More than a thousand young people took to the streets in the center of Bucharest to demonstrate their dissent against Georgescu. A future distant from the European and Atlantic allies is certainly not what they hope for. “Putin, don’t forget, Romania is not yours” was the slogan of the protest. The protesters are now calling on other political parties to work to prevent Georgescu’s victory.
On Bucharest’s international orientation, Georgescu, who based his election campaign on social media and went viral on TikTok, said that for him “neither East nor West exists, but only Romania”.
Nothing is decided yet
Maintaining control of Parliament would be important for the pro-Western forces who are playing a big game on Sunday 1st December with the legislative elections. They could act as a counterweight to Georgescu if he became president. “It will be a close fight, but there will be a big mobilization after the initial shock to help Mrs Lasconi rid us of someone who has the potential to further collapse the political system,” said political commentator Radu Magdin.
