Romanian election surprise: Pro-Putin candidate gets unexpected win in first round
A shocking first-round victory in Romaniaʼs presidential race puts an anti-NATO candidate ahead. Traditional parties lose ground as social-media savvy newcomer gains unexpected support from voters
In an unexpected turn of events during Nov 25th presidential elections Calin Georgescu took first place with 23% of votes while Elena Lasconi followed with 19% creating a major shake-up in Romanian politics
The win by Georgescu (whose tik-tok following reached 285k users) shocked political experts — he was expected to get only 5% support. His pro-russian stance and anti-western views made him a non-standard choice for voters in this east-european country
Tonight‚ the Romanian people cried out for peace
The 62-year old ex-UN rapporteur (known for calling Putin “a man who loves his country“) got way more backing than traditional parties; which shows how regular politics dont work anymore. His views on NATO membership and the countrys support for Ukraine made some analysts worried about future policy changes
Romania plays a big role in helping Ukraine: it has a 400-mile shared border provides grain transit routes and hosts whatʼs gonna be Europes largest NATO air-base. Georgescu called the NATO defense shield a “shame of diplomacy“ and thinks Russiaʼs wisdom should guide foreign relations
The Dec 8th run-off will be first-time ever that main center-left party wont have its candidate in final round. Political expert Ion Marandici suggests that Georgescuʼs success comes from mixing religious values with anti-western ideas — a combo that worked well with people who want simple answers after covid times
