Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has sent a message to Romanians in Romanian, expressing clear support for Nicușor Dan’s presidential candidacy.
Tusk, former President of the European Council, talks about the late Helmut Duckadam and recalls that the famous goalkeeper gave him his gloves, which he now believes should be received by Nicușor Dan, alongside the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, who is also a candidate in the Polish presidential elections and an ally of Tusk.
The first round of the Polish presidential elections will take place on May 18, the same date as the second round of the Romanian presidential elections.
President Maia Sandu also posted a video on social media on Tuesday evening, calling on Moldovans with Romanian citizenship to vote and strongly expressing her support for Nicușor Dan.
Here is the message sent by Donald Tusk:
"Dear Romanian friends, this Sunday Romanians and Poles will choose their presidents. The stakes are equally high in both our countries. Two mayors of our beautiful capitals - Bucharest and Warsaw - Nicușor Dan and Rafał Trzaskowski - will fight the same dangers: aggressive neighbors, foreign agency influence, anti-European populism, corruption, and lies.
It is evident that you, the voters, and not foreign powers, are the ones who must exclusively decide who will become president.
Today, Poland, Romania, and Europe are one family. Europe is you and us.
Because I love my homeland, I wish all the best to my brothers and sisters in Romania!
A few years ago, as President of the European Council, I addressed you with the following words: "I would like to make an appeal to all Romanians - to defend in Romania and in Europe the foundations of our political civilization, freedom, integrity, respect for truth in public life, the rule of law, and the Constitution. Defend them with the same determination with which Helmut Duckadam defended those four penalties in a row. It seemed impossible to me then. But he succeeded. And you will succeed."
I then received Helmut's goalkeeper gloves. He told me then: Defend Europe, Romania, and our freedom as I defended the goal in Seville. I am convinced that these gloves should be received today by our leaders: Nicușor Dan and Rafał Trzaskowski.
Long live Romania! Long live Poland! Long live united Europe!"
Alongside this message, Nicușor Dan expressed his gratitude for the support. The Capital's Mayor appreciates "the respect with which a true European treats Romanian citizens, making an effort to address them in Romanian."
"I also wish success in the presidential elections to the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, and I hope that after these elections, we will establish a true partnership between Romania and Poland on the eastern flank," Nicușor Dan wrote on Facebook.
Warsaw's Mayor, liberal Rafał Trzaskowski, is leading in the opinion polls, while his conservative rival, Karol Nawrocki, has not had a very good period in the Polish campaign.
It is worth mentioning that yesterday George Simion went to Warsaw, missing the electoral debate on Antena3, to attend the rally of Karol Nawrocki, the nationalist candidate for the Polish presidency, supported by the main opposition party Law and Justice.