Last week, an American anti-missile defense base was opened in Redzikovo near Slupsk. Romania was the same – but for years. The largest NATO base in Europe is also being built in Romania. This country is important for the Union, among other things, in terms of its location. Romania shares a border with Ukraine, as well as with Moldova, which is also threatened by Russian imperialism. The authorities in Bucharest were known for their pro-Western stance, but recently pro-Russian forces are gaining popularity there. Elections will begin in this country at the end of this week.
Will another country in our region turn its back on Ukraine and follow the path of the Kremlin? This will be known after the election marathon that starts in Romania. Romanians will elect the parliament and the president on three consecutive weekends.
If it weren't for George Simon, it might not have generated much interest in the West. Like Hungary's Viktor Orbán or Slovakia's Robert Fico, he dresses as a pacifist, an opponent of the war in Ukraine, when in reality he is a pro-Kremlin politician. He promises that military aid to Kyiv will stop. He was even banned from entering Ukraine.
– As the president, I will not involve Romania in any war. We are not ready for this. We don't need it, the leader of the “Romanian Unity Union” and presidential candidate Giorgi Siion said during a televised debate.
READ ALSO: The strategy did not work in the region. Maybe a nuclear weapon? Simon is in the second place in the presidential elections, and most likely he will go to the second round of the elections. The second force in parliament will most likely be his far-right Coalition for Romanian Unity.
Polls give first place to the Social Democrats from the PSD party. Their leader, the current Prime Minister Marcel Siolaku, is the leader of the presidential race and the guarantor of the country's pro-Western course.
– Romania is generally a pro-American and pro-EU country, unless it is tempted by relations with Russia. Relations with Russia were one of the topics in the election campaign only for some candidates. It was mostly related to personnel matters. Radu Magdin, a political analyst at Smartlink Communications, said the broader aspects of security have not really been the subject of public debate.
Where does the right-wing support for Russia come from?
Romania is an important member of the European Union and NATO. Among other things, it borders with Ukraine and another country threatened by Russian imperialism – Moldova. In particular, Romania's geographical position means that by 2030 it will become the largest base of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Europe. Another reason is the constant pro-Western stance of the main forces on the political scene.
How important is Russia's attack with a new experimental weapon in the Dnieper? Katarzyna Sławińska/Fakty TVN
– Giving Ukraine a part of its territory is not a solution, because Putin behaves like an emperor. We know where the center of his empire is, but we don't know its borders. Elena Lasconi, the right-wing Romanian candidate, warns that Putin will not stop if Ukraine gives up territories.
Russia's right-wing extremists attribute the rise in ratings to the country's poor economic situation, including inflation at five percent. As an example, George Simon points to Law and Justice, with which his party sits in the same group in the European Parliament. Voter aversion to traditional parties also plays to the extreme right's advantage.
Election marathon – time to start!
– Of course I will vote. The problem is, I don't know who it is. I choose someone from the right, I don't know who it is now, but someone from the right says one of the residents of Bucharest.
– I am not going to vote, there is no one to vote for it. I haven't voted since 1992, says another resident of Bucharest.
– No candidate is a representative of the youth. There is no one to promote new values over old ones. Young people have very limited choices, says a young resident of the capital.
After two terms in power, President Klaus Iohannis can no longer run for re-election. The election marathon will begin on November 24 with the first round of presidential elections, a week later parliamentary elections and two weeks later the second round of the presidential race.
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