The independent candidate created a surprise by taking the lead in the votes at the end of the first round organized on Sunday. The Europhile Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, although favorite in the polls, will not even be in the running for the second.
Little known to the general public, ignored by the polls, the pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu created a surprise on Monday, November 25, coming in first, with 22.94% of the votes, during the first round of the presidential election in Romania. “Tonight, the Romanian people shouted for peace. And they shouted very loudly”reacted the candidate, known for his positions criticism of NATO. This breakthrough had the effect of an earthquake in Romania, a country hitherto spared from nationalist waves. Calin Georgescu, who led his campaign on the social network TikTok, notably made promises on the end of aid to Ukraine, while the two countries share a border of nearly 650 kilometers.
The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, eliminated from the presidential election, announced that he would not “wouldn’t argue” the results, “even if the difference is small”, and announced his resignation as head of the Social Democratic Party. Favorite in the polls, he came third in the first round on Sunday with 19.15% of the vote, behind the centrist Elena Lasconi (19.17%). The ultranationalist candidate will face theDecember 8, date of the second round. This could benefit from new support from the far right, represented by George Simion and his Alliance for the Unification of Romanians (AUR) party, excluded from the race after having collected 14% of the votes. Although the Romanian presidential office is mainly ceremonial, if Calin Georgescu is elected he will have decision-making power over party candidates for prime minister and government candidates for judicial positions. Populist rhetoric, euroscepticism… franceinfo presents five things to know about Calin Georgescu.
1 A pro-Russian candidate
Although he has always refused to explicitly state his support for Russia, Calin Georgescu describes himself as a “close to Russian culture”. The 62-year-old independent candidate evokes Vladimir Putin as “a man who loves his country” and admire the links between the Kremlin and Hungary.
Criticism of the European Union and NATO, which he accuses of harming national sovereignty, he advocated during his campaign the cessation of aid to Ukraine. He also supports that Russia's invasion is being manipulated by US military companies, reports Politico. In another interview reported by Reuters, he said Romania's best diplomatic chance lay in “Russian wisdom”.
In 2022, Calin Georgescu estimated, during an interview on the Romanian channel reality tv, that the American anti-missile shield located in the village of Deveselu, in southern Romania, was a policy of confrontation and not a peaceful measure. In 2021, he called it of “diplomatic shame”, according to Reuters. If its positions are shared by the Kremlin, the latter nevertheless assured Monday “not knowing well” Calin Georgescu, AFP reports.
2 An ultranationalist disapproved by a far-right party
The far-right AUR party supported Calin Georgescu for prime minister twice, in 2020 and 2021, reports EuroNews. A collaboration which stopped after the party criticized its pro-Russian and anti-NATO position, explains the Guardian.
Nostalgic for what he calls “Romanian greatness”the ultranationalist also praised former figures of fascism in the country, qualifying in particular Ion Antonescu, Romanian head of state during the Second World War convicted for his role in the Holocaust, as well as Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, founder of the Iron Guard, as “hero of the nation”reports Reuters. In 2020, the General Prosecutor's Office opened criminal proceedings against him for promoting “people guilty of genocide”, explains EuroNews. Under pressure, the AUR once again dissociated itself from Calin Georgescu. But since the results of the first round, the party seems to have returned to this position. George Simion, candidate leaving the AUR, has welcomed the victory of Calin Georgescu, inviting his 1.3 million voters to support him, reports the BBC.
3 A figure in Romanian environmental policies
During his campaign, Calin Georgescu focused part of his promises on rural development and food sovereignty. He wishes in particular to strengthen support for Romanian farmers, to initiate the reduction of Bucharest's dependence on energy and imports, according to the Associated Press. A specialty that marked his political career. After a career at the National Institute for Research and Development, where he worked on issues of soil erosion, Calin Georgescu entered politics in the 1990s.
Then advisor to the Minister of the Environment, Marcian Bleahu, the nationalist became secretary general of the ministry between 1997 and 1998. The following year, his career took on an international dimension when he represented Romania at the United Nations on environmental issues. A period during which he also coordinated the National Sustainable Development Strategy, aligned with European objectives. Consolidating its role in the development of public policies in matters of ecology and agriculture, between 2000 and 2013, according to the Romania InsiderCalin Georgescu heads the National Center for Sustainable Development in Romania, before serving as executive director of the United Nations Global Sustainability Index Institute between 2015 and 2016, reports the Guardian.
4 A campaign carried out on TikTok
Ignoring traditional television sets, Calin Georgescu has shaken up the codes of a classic political campaign by investing in TikTok. An essential figure on the Romanian pages of the social network, the former senior pro-Russian official was able to captivate 277,000 followers and, in mid-November, accumulated more than 92.8 million views, with a jump of 52 million the week preceding the first round elections, according to the Expert Forum think tank, interviewed by the Associated Press, which judges this pmeteoric progression “sudden and artificial. “The Internet is the only space for freedom of expression”said the far-right candidate in a recent video, translated by AFP.
For Cristian Andrei, political consultant based in Bucharest cited by France24this electoral success represents a response to “a disconnected political class”unable to use new platforms effectively. For Madalina Voinea, member of Expert Forum interviewed by AP, “It is urgent that TikTok sheds light on what is happening in Romania.”
5 He describes himself as “an avenger sent by God”
During his campaign, Calin Georgescu largely highlighted his Christian faith. Supporting the Romanian Orthodox Church according to Washington Post, the candidate regularly mixes religious references and nationalist rhetoric and poses as a defender of Christian and traditional values. He presented himself in particular as a “avenger sent by God to serve the Romanians”reports the New York Timesthen describing the election as a real “prayer for the nation”, claiming to want to give a voice to “humiliated” and to “those who feel like they don’t matter and who actually matter the most”.
