In the extended and exhausting electoral campaign, many strange episodes unfolded in front of the voters, one of them being when the winner of the first round of the presidential elections did not deliver a speech in front of the campaign team and journalists after the closing of the polling stations.
George Simion, the leader of AUR, did not step up to the specially prepared podium. In haste, a screen was set up on which a recorded video message from the winner was projected.
The situation was even stranger because the TV operators were not informed that Simion would not appear in person, and they had directed their cameras towards the podium.
Thus, they were taken by surprise by the giant talking head that appeared on the screen, and although they quickly adjusted the camera angles, the broadcasts also showed the empty podium, which obstructed a part of Simion's face on the screen.
The surreal scene played out for a few minutes on TVs across the country, accentuating the sense of widespread absurdity.
Simion did not deign to explain why he did not come before the people, with images of him at the Vienna airport being posted on social media the next day.
According to political sources, the AUR leader left the country in the afternoon of Sunday, May 4, before the polls closed, with the recording and screen improvisation being an emergency solution to mask his unexpected disappearance.
What does a populist rely on?
Also interesting is the fact that in the aforementioned footage, Simion used the set design from Călin Georgescu's videos, a background of a library, books, icons, flags, indicating in this way his mission to bring the pro-Russian candidate to the forefront of the country.
Furthermore, the AUR leader went to the polling station alongside the same Călin Georgescu, projecting towards the public a relationship of subordination, in an attempt to bring to the polls those who voted for him last November.
Repeatedly and deliberately, Simion has conveyed messages that Georgescu will become prime minister if he becomes the president of Romania.
First and foremost, the candidate's promise bears a striking resemblance to that of the 35,000 euro houses which he now claims were merely a marketing operation.
George Simion employs the widely spread strategy among populist politicians of telling people what they want to hear.
SIMION: ...the story with the houses is political marketing just like your haircut...
NICUȘOR DAN: ...the difference is that when I go for a haircut, thousands of people don't stand in line for false hopes
Euronews, the first televised debate from the presidential final
- Key reply from the Nicușor Dan - George Simion debate
- Who will lead the Government? Simion: "A Romanian who loves peace". Nicușor Dan: "I very much want Mr. Bolojan"
He segments his speeches by demographic categories, professional groups, religious and economic groups, conveying messages to voters that validate their concerns even if, put together, they make no sense and contradict each other.
Populists rely on the fact that voting is emotional rather than rational, and those who notice the contradictions, exaggerations, and lies represent a minority that does not matter and cannot influence the dominant trend built on generalities, labels, and division.
Calculations: How many votes does Simion need to put Georgescu as prime minister
Secondly, if Simion becomes president, he will have to overcome Parliament's resistance regarding a possible nomination of Călin Georgescu for the position of prime minister.
Based on the current distribution of mandates after the December 2024 elections, AUR, POT, and SOS have a total of 164 parliamentarians out of 466, which is 28.4%.
Even if George Simion, according to the Romanian Constitution, can nominate Călin Georgescu, in case the extremist parties form an alliance, they still need 70 votes to reach the majority of 234 required to validate the proposal and form the government.
These 70 votes can only come from one party, namely PSD, which obtained 122 seats in Parliament in the December elections.
This would imply an alliance between PSD and AUR or the breakup of the party, with more than half of the social-democratic members expected to migrate to the party that produced the president.
Such a significant rupture is unlikely, as it would mean the disappearance of PSD, and tradition dictates that following a failure, social democrats change their leadership, even their political direction, but remain united. At most, they may lose a few parliamentarians, but not such a large number.
There is a real possibility that in the event George Simion reaches the Cotroceni Palace, a political understanding between PSD and AUR may emerge, followed by the formation of a new parliamentary majority. But the question arises why would the social-democratic parliamentarians agree to vote for Călin Georgescu as prime minister when, representing the winning party, they could have their own prime minister?
A trap for Simion
In a single theoretical scenario, the nomination of Călin Georgescu for the position of prime minister, tasked with forming the government, could be accepted if Simion were to threaten to dissolve Parliament, meaning to repeatedly nominate him, be rejected twice, and on the third occasion, the parliamentarians accept him out of fear of early elections.
However, in this case, there is a danger that the President Simion exposes himself to, the possibility of being suspended by an ad-hoc majority, threatened by the dissolution of Parliament.
The described situation is extreme, and if it were to reach that point, Romania's economy would have long collapsed, the streets would be scenes of violent protests, strikes would be widespread, and the country would be engulfed in chaos.
Călin Georgescu has been and still is a political outsider, used by hostile forces, both external and internal, to create instability in Romania.
There is no realistic way for him to become the head of the Government, being used by Simion to take the votes obtained in November 2024, when he was intensively and illegally promoted on social media, with an investment of over 50 million euros in that operation, according to several informed statements.