pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu creates a surprise by taking the lead in the first round – Libération

Electoral earthquake in Romania: a pro-Russian candidate that no one expected came first on Sunday, November 25 in the first round of the presidential election ahead of pro-European Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who was nevertheless given first place at the start of the evening . The 56-year-old social-democrat leader saw this 62-year-old far-right rival, Calin Georgescu, come up in the evening. After counting 98.66% of the ballots, Calin Georgescu received 22.59% of the votes, compared to 19.55% for Marcel Ciolacu. As it stands, Calin Georgescu and Marcel Ciolacu are expected to face each other in a second round scheduled for December 8, with legislative elections on December 1 in the meantime.

Whatever the outcome of the vote, “the far right is by far the big winner of this election”with more than 35% of the vote, comments political scientist Cristian Pirvulescu. Because to Calin Georgescu's score we must add the 13.94% obtained by George Simion of the AUR party (Alliance for the Unity of Romanians). The latter congratulated his opponent, rejoicing that a “sovereignist” finds himself in the second round.

If he was able to capitalize on the distress of a part of the population impoverished by high inflation, George Simion, a big fan of Donald Trump, also wanted to project a moderate image that “served him among the most radical”analyzes Cristian Pirvulescu. Conversely, Calin Georgescu has attracted attention in recent days with a TikTok campaign that has gone viral, focused on the need to stop aid to Ukraine. “Tonight, the Romanian people cried out for peace. And he shouted very loudly, extremely loudly.he reacted.

Bad omen for the legislative elections

After ten years in power of Klaus Iohannis, a fervent supporter of Kyiv who became very unpopular due in particular to his costly trips abroad financed with public money, the Romanians have therefore set their sights on anti-system candidates, against a backdrop of rising ultra-conservative movements in Europe. It is an upheaval for this country of 19 million inhabitants which has until now resisted nationalist postures, distinguishing itself from Hungary or Slovakia. The President of the Romanian Republic occupies an essentially ceremonial function but exercises an important moral magisterium.

Romania, sharing a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine and bordered by the Black Sea, plays a strategic role «vital»recalls in a study by the New Strategy Center think tank. Both for NATO, of which it houses more than 5,000 soldiers, and for the transit of Ukrainian cereals. Building on these good scores in the presidential election, the far right should benefit from “a contagion effect” in the legislative elections on December 1, predicts Cristian Pirvulescu. Which bodes difficult negotiations to form a coalition.